TERMS STARTING WITH
desa (desha) ::: place.
desa-kala-nimitta ::: spacetime-causality.
desa-kala-patra (desh-kal-patra) ::: the (right) place, the (right) time and the (right) person.
desa ::: place; country.
descanted ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Descant
descanter ::: n. --> One who descants.
descanting ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Descant
descant ::: v. i. --> Originally, a double song; a melody or counterpoint sung above the plain song of the tenor; a variation of an air; a variation by ornament of the main subject or plain song.
The upper voice in part music.
The canto, cantus, or soprano voice; the treble.
A discourse formed on its theme, like variations on a musical air; a comment or comments.
To sing a variation or accomplishment.
descendant ::: a. --> Descendent. ::: n. --> One who descends, as offspring, however remotely; -- correlative to ancestor or ascendant.
descended ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Descend
descendent ::: a. --> Descending; falling; proceeding from an ancestor or source.
descender ::: n. --> One who descends.
descender "text" A lowercase letter that extends below the base line, such as "g", "j", or "p". Also used to denote the part of the letter extending below the base line. Compare {ascender}. (1998-03-27)
descendibility ::: n. --> The quality of being descendible; capability of being transmitted from ancestors; as, the descendibility of an estate.
descendible ::: a. --> Admitting descent; capable of being descended.
That may descend from an ancestor to an heir.
descending ::: 1. Moving downwards, coming down. 2. Directed or extending downwards.
descendingly ::: adv. --> In a descending manner.
descending ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Descend ::: a. --> Of or pertaining to descent; moving downwards.
descend ::: “The word ‘descend’ has various meanings according to the context—I used it here in the sense of the psychic being coming down into the human consciousness and body ready for it.” Letters on Yoga
descend ::: to move or pass from a higher to a lower place; come down. Also fig. descends, descended.
descend ::: v. i. --> To pass from a higher to a lower place; to move downwards; to come or go down in any way, as by falling, flowing, walking, etc.; to plunge; to fall; to incline downward; -- the opposite of ascend.
To enter mentally; to retire.
To make an attack, or incursion, as if from a vantage ground; to come suddenly and with violence; -- with on or upon.
To come down to a lower, less fortunate, humbler, less
descensional ::: a. --> Pertaining to descension.
descension ::: n. --> The act of going downward; descent; falling or sinking; declension; degradation.
descensive ::: a. --> Tending to descend; tending downwards; descending.
descensory ::: n. --> A vessel used in alchemy to extract oils.
descent ::: 1. The act or an instance of descending. 2. A downward incline or passage; a slope. Descent.
descent function If a {recursive} function is of the form f x = ... f (d x) ... then d is known as the descent function.
descent ::: n. --> The act of descending, or passing downward; change of place from higher to lower.
Incursion; sudden attack; especially, hostile invasion from sea; -- often followed by upon or on; as, to make a descent upon the enemy.
Progress downward, as in station, virtue, as in station, virtue, and the like, from a higher to a lower state, from a higher to a lower state, from the more to the less important, from the better to
descent ::: see ascent and descent.
descent ::: “This descent is felt as a pouring in of calm and peace, of force and power, of light, of joy and ecstasy, of wideness and freedom and knowledge, of a Divine Being or a Presence—sometimes one of these, sometimes several of them or all together.” Letters on Yoga
describable ::: a. --> That can be described; capable of description.
describe ::: 1. To represent pictorially; depict. 2. To trace the form or outline of. described, describing.
described ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Describe
describent ::: n. --> Same as Generatrix.
describer ::: n. --> One who describes.
describe ::: v. t. --> To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out; as, to describe a circle by the compasses; a torch waved about the head in such a way as to describe a circle.
To represent by words written or spoken; to give an account of; to make known to others by words or signs; as, the geographer describes countries and cities.
To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark
describing ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Describe
descried ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Descry
descrier ::: n. --> One who descries.
description ::: n. --> The act of describing; a delineation by marks or signs.
A sketch or account of anything in words; a portraiture or representation in language; an enumeration of the essential qualities of a thing or species.
A class to which a certain representation is applicable; kind; sort.
descriptive ::: a. --> Tending to describe; having the quality of representing; containing description; as, a descriptive figure; a descriptive phrase; a descriptive narration; a story descriptive of the age.
descriptor "operating system" An integer, string or other small data value which refers to one of several objects allocated to a program by the {operating system}, usually the {kernel}. A common example is a {Unix} {file descriptor} which is a small integer that identifies an I/O channel. Another example is a reference to an area of memory (e.g. {shared memory}). Compare {capability}. (1998-02-06)
descrive ::: v. t. --> To describe.
descry ::: 1. To see (something unclear or distant) by looking carefully; discern. 2. To discover, perceive, detect. descried.
descrying ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Descry
descry ::: v. t. --> To spy out or discover by the eye, as objects distant or obscure; to espy; to recognize; to discern; to discover.
To discover; to disclose; to reveal. ::: n. --> Discovery or view, as of an army seen at a distance.
desecate ::: v. t. --> To cut, as with a scythe; to mow.
desecrated ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Desecrate
desecrater ::: n. --> One who desecrates; a profaner.
desecrate ::: v. t. --> To divest of a sacred character or office; to divert from a sacred purpose; to violate the sanctity of; to profane; to put to an unworthy use; -- the opposite of consecrate.
desecrating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Desecrate
desecration ::: n. --> The act of desecrating; profanation; condition of anything desecrated.
desecrator ::: n. --> One who desecrates.
desegmentation ::: n. --> The loss or obliteration of division into segments; as, a desegmentation of the body.
desert ::: 1. A region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse and widely spaced vegetation or no vegetation at all. 2. Any area in which few forms of life can exist because of lack of water, permanent frost, or absence of soil. 3. Any place lacking in something; desolate, barren. deserts.
deserted ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Desert
deserter ::: n. --> One who forsakes a duty, a cause or a party, a friend, or any one to whom he owes service; especially, a soldier or a seaman who abandons the service without leave; one guilty of desertion.
desertful ::: a. --> Meritorious.
deserting ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Desert
desertion ::: n. --> The act of deserting or forsaking; abandonment of a service, a cause, a party, a friend, or any post of duty; the quitting of one&
desertless ::: a. --> Without desert.
desertlessly ::: adv. --> Undeservedly.
desertness ::: n. --> A deserted condition.
desert ::: n. --> That which is deserved; the reward or the punishment justly due; claim to recompense, usually in a good sense; right to reward; merit.
A deserted or forsaken region; a barren tract incapable of supporting population, as the vast sand plains of Asia and Africa are destitute and vegetation.
A tract, which may be capable of sustaining a population, but has been left unoccupied and uncultivated; a wilderness; a solitary
desertrice ::: n. --> A feminine deserter.
desertrix ::: n. --> Alt. of Desertrice
desert ::: v. To withdraw from, especially in spite of a responsibility or duty; forsake; abandon. deserting.
deserved ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Deserve
deservedly ::: adv. --> According to desert (whether good or evil); justly.
deservedness ::: n. --> Meritoriousness.
deserver ::: n. --> One who deserves.
deserves ::: has earned as a right by one"s actions; is worthy. deserved.
deserve ::: v. t. --> To earn by service; to be worthy of (something due, either good or evil); to merit; to be entitled to; as, the laborer deserves his wages; a work of value deserves praise.
To serve; to treat; to benefit. ::: v. i. --> To be worthy of recompense; -- usually with ill or with
deserving ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Deserve ::: n. --> Desert; merit. ::: a.
deshabille ::: n. --> An undress; a careless toilet.
desiccant ::: a. --> Drying; desiccative. ::: n. --> A medicine or application for drying up a sore.
desiccated ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Desiccate
desiccate ::: v. t. --> To dry up; to deprive or exhaust of moisture; to preserve by drying; as, to desiccate fish or fruit. ::: v. i. --> To become dry.
desiccating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Desiccate
desiccation ::: n. --> The act of desiccating, or the state of being desiccated.
desiccative ::: a. --> Drying; tending to dry. ::: n. --> An application for drying up secretions.
desiccator ::: n. --> One who, or that which, desiccates.
A short glass jar fitted with an air-tight cover, and containing some desiccating agent, as sulphuric acid or calcium chloride, above which is suspended the material to be dried, or preserved from moisture.
desiccatory ::: a. --> Desiccative.
desiderable ::: a. --> Desirable.
desiderata ::: n. pl. --> See Desideratum. ::: pl. --> of Desideratum
desiderated ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Desiderate
desiderate ::: v. t. --> To desire; to feel the want of; to lack; to miss; to want.
desiderating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Desiderate
desideration ::: n. --> Act of desiderating; also, the thing desired.
desiderative ::: a. --> Denoting desire; as, desiderative verbs. ::: n. --> An object of desire.
A verb formed from another verb by a change of termination, and expressing the desire of doing that which is indicated by the primitive verb.
desideratum ::: n. --> Anything desired; that of which the lack is felt; a want generally felt and acknowledge.
desidiose ::: a. --> Alt. of Desidious
desidious ::: a. --> Idle; lazy.
desidiousness ::: n. --> The state or quality of being desidiose, or indolent.
desightment ::: n. --> The act of making unsightly; disfigurement.
desight ::: n. --> An unsightly object.
designable ::: a. --> Capable of being designated or distinctly marked out; distinguishable.
designated ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Designate
designate ::: v. t. --> Designated; appointed; chosen.
To mark out and make known; to point out; to name; to indicate; to show; to distinguish by marks or description; to specify; as, to designate the boundaries of a country; to designate the rioters who are to be arrested.
To call by a distinctive title; to name.
To indicate or set apart for a purpose or duty; -- with to or for; to designate an officer for or to the command of a post
designating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Designate
designation ::: n. --> The act of designating; a pointing out or showing; indication.
Selection and appointment for a purpose; allotment; direction.
That which designates; a distinguishing mark or name; distinctive title; appellation.
Use or application; import; intention; signification, as of a word or phrase.
designative ::: a. --> Serving to designate or indicate; pointing out.
designator ::: n. --> An officer who assigned to each his rank and place in public shows and ceremonies.
One who designates.
designatory ::: a. --> Serving to designate; designative; indicating.
designed ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Design
designedly ::: adv. --> By design; purposely; intentionally; -- opposed to accidentally, ignorantly, or inadvertently.
designer ::: n. --> One who designs, marks out, or plans; a contriver.
One who produces or creates original works of art or decoration.
A plotter; a schemer; -- used in a bad sense.
designful ::: a. --> Full of design; scheming.
designing ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Design ::: a. --> Intriguing; artful; scheming; as, a designing man. ::: n.
designless ::: a. --> Without design.
designment ::: n. --> Delineation; sketch; design; ideal; invention.
Design; purpose; scheme.
design ::: n. 1. Purpose, aim, intention, especially with reference to a Divine Creator. 2. Plan or scheme. 3. A combination of details or features; pattern or motif. design"s, designs. *v. 4. To work out the structure or form of (something). 5. To plan and make (something) artistically or skilfully. *designed, designing.
design ::: n. --> To draw preliminary outline or main features of; to sketch for a pattern or model; to delineate; to trace out; to draw.
To mark out and exhibit; to designate; to indicate; to show; to point out; to appoint.
To create or produce, as a work of art; to form a plan or scheme of; to form in idea; to invent; to project; to lay out in the mind; as, a man designs an essay, a poem, a statue, or a cathedral.
To intend or purpose; -- usually with for before the remote
design pattern "programming" A description of an {object-oriented design} technique which names, abstracts and identifies aspects of a design structure that are useful for creating an object-oriented design. The design pattern identifies {classes} and {instances}, their roles, collaborations and responsibilities. Each design pattern focuses on a particular object-oriented design problem or issue. It describes when it applies, whether it can be applied in the presence of other design constraints, and the consequences and trade-offs of its use. {Home (http://st-www.cs.uiuc.edu/users/patterns/patterns.html)}. ["Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software", Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, and John Vlissides]. (1997-07-21)
design "process" The approach that engineering (and some other) disciplines use to specify how to create or do something. A successful design must satisfies a (perhaps informal) {functional specification} (do what it was designed to do); conforms to the limitations of the target medium (it is possible to implement); meets implicit or explicit requirements on performance and resource usage (it is efficient enough). A design may also have to satisfy restrictions on the design process itself, such as its length or cost, or the tools available for doing the design. In the {software life-cycle}, design follows {requirements analysis} and is followed by implementation. ["Object-Oriented Analysis and Design with Applications", 2nd ed., Grady Booch]. (1996-12-08)
design recovery "process" A subtask of {reverse engineering} in which domain knowledge, external information, and deduction of fuzzy reasoning are added to the observations of the subject system to identify meaningful higher level abstractions beyond those obtained directly by examining the system itself. In other words, design recovery aims to work out what a system or component was designed to do rather than just examining its subcomponents and their interrelationships. (1996-12-08)
designs or pictures transferred from engraved plates, wood blocks, lithographic stones or other media. flower-prints.
desilverization ::: n. --> The act or the process of freeing from silver; also, the condition resulting from the removal of silver.
desilverize ::: v. t. --> To deprive, or free from, silver; to remove silver from.
desilver ::: v. t. --> To deprive of silver; as, to desilver lead.
desinence ::: n. --> Termination; ending.
desinent ::: a. --> Ending; forming an end; lowermost.
desinential ::: a. --> Terminal.
desipient ::: a. --> Foolish; silly; trifling.
desirability ::: n. --> The state or quality of being desirable; desirableness.
desirableness ::: n. --> The quality of being desirable.
desirable ::: v. t. --> Worthy of desire or longing; fitted to excite desire or a wish to possess; pleasing; agreeable.
desirable ::: worth having or wanting; pleasing; excellent; or fine.
desirably ::: adv. --> In a desirable manner.
desired ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Desire
desireful ::: a. --> Filled with desire; eager.
desirefulness ::: n. --> The state of being desireful; eagerness to obtain and possess.
desireless ::: a. --> Free from desire.
desire ::: n. **1. A longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment. 2.** Sexual appetite or a sexual urge.
desirer ::: n. --> One who desires, asks, or wishes.
desire’s, desires
desire"s, desires. ::: v. **3. To wish or long for; want. desires, desired, desiring.
desire-soul ::: the surface soul in us, which works in our vital cravings, our emotions, aesthetic faculty and mental seeking for power, knowledge and happiness; the true soul is the subliminal psychic essence.
desirest ::: a native English form of the verb, to desire, now only in formal and poetic usage.
desire ::: v. t. --> To long for; to wish for earnestly; to covet.
To express a wish for; to entreat; to request.
To require; to demand; to claim.
To miss; to regret.
The natural longing that is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of any good, and impels to action or effort its continuance or possession; an eager wish to obtain or enjoy.
An expressed wish; a request; petition.
desiring ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Desire
desirously ::: adv. --> With desire; eagerly.
desirousness ::: n. --> The state of being desirous.
desirous ::: n. --> Feeling desire; eagerly wishing; solicitous; eager to obtain; covetous.
desistance ::: n. --> The act or state of desisting; cessation.
desisted ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Desist
desisting ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Desist
desistive ::: a. --> Final; conclusive; ending.
desist ::: to cease, as from an action; stop or abstain
desist ::: v. i. --> To cease to proceed or act; to stop; to forbear; -- often with from.
desition ::: n. --> An end or ending.
desitive ::: a. --> Final; serving to complete; conclusive. ::: n. --> A proposition relating to or expressing an end or conclusion.
desk check "programming" To {grovel} over hardcopy of {source code}, mentally simulating the {control flow}; a method of catching bugs. No longer common practice in this age of on-screen editing, fast compiles, and sophisticated debuggers - though some maintain stoutly that it ought to be. Compare {dry run}, {eyeball search}, {vdiff}, {vgrep}. [{Jargon File}] (1996-05-13)
desked ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Desk
desking ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Desk
desk ::: n. --> A table, frame, or case, usually with sloping top, but often with flat top, for the use writers and readers. It often has a drawer or repository underneath.
A reading table or lectern to support the book from which the liturgical service is read, differing from the pulpit from which the sermon is preached; also (esp. in the United States), a pulpit. Hence, used symbolically for "the clerical profession."
desktop 1. "operating system" In a {WIMP} {graphical user interface}, the visual representation of a real desktop (the top surface of a piece of furniture) with documents, folders and a rubbish bin arranged on it. The user manipulates files on the computer by using a {mouse} to {click} and {drag} their representations ({icons}) on the desktop. The WIMP interface and desktop metaphor was invented at {Xerox PARC} and popularised by the {Apple Macintosh}. 2. "computer" {desktop computer}. (2007-09-12)
desktop database {Macintosh file system}
desktop manager A {user interface} to system services, usually {icon} and {menu} based like the {Macintosh} {Finder}, enabling the user to run {application programs} and use a {file system} without directly using the command language of the {operating system}. (1994-12-07)
desktop publisher {desktop publishing}
desktop publishing "text, application" (DTP) Using computers to lay out text and graphics for printing in magazines, newsletters, brochures, etc. A good DTP system provides precise control over templates, styles, fonts, sizes, colour, paragraph formatting, images and fitting text into irregular shapes. Example programs include {FrameMaker}, {PageMaker}, {InDesign} and {GeoPublish}. {(http://cs.purdue.edu/homes/gwp/dtp/dtp.html)}. {Usenet} newsgroup: {news:comp.text.desktop}. (2005-03-14)
deskwork ::: n. --> Work done at a desk, as by a clerk or writer.
desman ::: n. --> An amphibious, insectivorous mammal found in Russia (Myogale moschata). It is allied to the moles, but is called muskrat by some English writers.
desmidian ::: n. --> A microscopic plant of the family Desmidiae, a group of unicellular algae in which the species have a greenish color, and the cells generally appear as if they consisted of two coalescing halves.
desmid ::: n. --> Alt. of Desmidian
desmine ::: n. --> Same as Stilbite. It commonly occurs in bundles or tufts of crystals.
desmobacteria ::: n. pl. --> See Microbacteria.
desmodont ::: n. --> A member of a group of South American blood-sucking bats, of the genera Desmodus and Diphylla. See Vampire.
desmognathous ::: a. --> Having the maxillo-palatine bones united; -- applied to a group of carinate birds (Desmognathae), including various wading and swimming birds, as the ducks and herons, and also raptorial and other kinds.
desmoid ::: a. --> Resembling, or having the characteristics of, a ligament; ligamentous.
desmology ::: n. --> The science which treats of the ligaments.
desmomyaria ::: n. pl. --> The division of Tunicata which includes the Salpae. See Salpa.
desolate ::: 1. Uninhabited, laid waste, deserted, without any sign of life, barren. 2. Devoid of inhabitants; deserted. 3. Bereft of friends or hope; sad and forlorn. 4. Wretched or forlorn. 5. Dreary, dismal, gloomy. desolately.
desolate ::: a. --> Destitute or deprived of inhabitants; deserted; uninhabited; hence, gloomy; as, a desolate isle; a desolate wilderness; a desolate house.
Laid waste; in a ruinous condition; neglected; destroyed; as, desolate altars.
Left alone; forsaken; lonely; comfortless.
Lost to shame; dissolute.
Destitute of; lacking in.
desolated ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Desolate
desolately ::: adv. --> In a desolate manner.
desolateness ::: n. --> The state of being desolate.
desolater ::: n. --> One who, or that which, desolates or lays waste.
desolating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Desolate
desolation ::: n. --> The act of desolating or laying waste; destruction of inhabitants; depopulation.
The state of being desolated or laid waste; ruin; solitariness; destitution; gloominess.
A place or country wasted and forsaken.
desolator ::: n. --> Same as Desolater.
desolatory ::: a. --> Causing desolation.
desophisticate ::: v. t. --> To clear from sophism or error.
desoxalic ::: a. --> Made or derived from oxalic acid; as, desoxalic acid.
despaired ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Despair
despairer ::: n. --> One who despairs.
despairful ::: a. --> Hopeless.
despairing ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Despair ::: a. --> Feeling or expressing despair; hopeless.
despair ::: the state in which all hope is lost or absent. despairs, despairing *adj.* Characterized by or resulting from despair; hopeless.
despair ::: v. i. --> To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation; -- often with of. ::: v. t. --> To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.
To cause to despair.
desparple ::: v. t. & i. --> To scatter; to disparkle.
despatch ::: n. & v. --> Same as Dispatch.
despecfication ::: n. --> Discrimination.
despecificate ::: v. t. --> To discriminate; to separate according to specific signification or qualities; to specificate; to desynonymize.
despection ::: n. --> A looking down; a despising.
despect ::: n. --> Contempt.
despeed ::: v. t. --> To send hastily.
despend ::: v. t. --> To spend; to squander. See Dispend.
desperadoes ::: pl. --> of Desperado
desperado ::: n. --> A reckless, furious man; a person urged by furious passions, and regardless of consequence; a wild ruffian.
desperate ::: actuated by a feeling of hopelessness; that leaves little or no room for hope; such as to be despaired of; extremely dangerous or serious.
desperate ::: a. --> Without hope; given to despair; hopeless.
Beyond hope; causing despair; extremely perilous; irretrievable; past cure, or, at least, extremely dangerous; as, a desperate disease; desperate fortune.
Proceeding from, or suggested by, despair; without regard to danger or safety; reckless; furious; as, a desperate effort.
Extreme, in a bad sense; outrageous; -- used to mark the extreme predominance of a bad quality.
desperately ::: adv. --> In a desperate manner; without regard to danger or safety; recklessly; extremely; as, the troops fought desperately.
desperateness ::: n. --> Desperation; virulence.
desperation ::: n. --> The act of despairing or becoming desperate; a giving up of hope.
A state of despair, or utter hopeless; abandonment of hope; extreme recklessness; reckless fury.
despicability ::: n. --> Despicableness.
despicable ::: a. --> Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean; vile; worthless; as, a despicable man; despicable company; a despicable gift.
despicableness ::: n. --> The quality of being despicable; meanness; vileness; worthlessness.
despicably ::: adv. --> In a despicable or mean manner; contemptibly; as, despicably stingy.
despiciency ::: n. --> A looking down; despection.
despisable ::: a. --> Despicable; contemptible.
despisal ::: n. --> A despising; contempt.
despised ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Despise
despisedness ::: n. --> The state of being despised.
despised ::: regarded with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorned; loathed.
despisement ::: n. --> A despising.
despiser ::: n. --> One who despises; a contemner; a scorner.
despise ::: v. t. --> To look down upon with disfavor or contempt; to contemn; to scorn; to disdain; to have a low opinion or contemptuous dislike of.
despisingly ::: adv. --> Contemptuously.
despising ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Despise
despited ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Despite
despiteful ::: a. --> Full of despite; expressing malice or contemptuous hate; malicious.
despite ::: n. --> Malice; malignity; spite; malicious anger; contemptuous hate.
An act of malice, hatred, or defiance; contemptuous defiance; a deed of contempt.
To vex; to annoy; to offend contemptuously. ::: prep.
despiteous ::: a. --> Feeling or showing despite; malicious; angry to excess; cruel; contemptuous.
despiteously ::: adv. --> Despitefully.
despiting ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Despite
despitous ::: a. --> Despiteous; very angry; cruel.
despoiled ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Despoil
despoiler ::: n. --> One who despoils.
despoiling ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Despoil
despoilment ::: n. --> Despoliation.
despoil ::: v. t. --> To strip, as of clothing; to divest or unclothe.
To deprive for spoil; to plunder; to rob; to pillage; to strip; to divest; -- usually followed by of. ::: n. --> Spoil.
despoliation ::: n. --> A stripping or plundering; spoliation.
desponded ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Despond
despondence ::: n. --> Despondency.
despondency ::: n. --> The state of desponding; loss of hope and cessation of effort; discouragement; depression or dejection of the mind.
despondent ::: a. --> Marked by despondence; given to despondence; low-spirited; as, a despondent manner; a despondent prisoner.
desponder ::: n. --> One who desponds.
despondingly ::: adv. --> In a desponding manner.
desponding ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Despond
despond ::: v. i. --> To give up, the will, courage, or spirit; to be thoroughly disheartened; to lose all courage; to become dispirited or depressed; to take an unhopeful view. ::: n. --> Despondency.
desponsage ::: n. --> Betrothal.
desponsate ::: v. t. --> To betroth.
desponsation ::: n. --> A betrothing; betrothal.
desponsories ::: pl. --> of Desponsory
desponsory ::: n. --> A written pledge of marriage.
desport ::: v. t. & i. --> See Disport.
despot ::: 1. A king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power; autocrat. 2. Any tyrant or oppressor.
despotat ::: n. --> The station or government of a despot; also, the domain of a despot.
despotic ::: a. --> Alt. of Despotical
despotical ::: a. --> Having the character of, or pertaining to, a despot; absolute in power; possessing and abusing unlimited power; evincing despotism; tyrannical; arbitrary.
despotism ::: 1. The rule of a despot; the exercise of absolute authority. 2. Absolute power or control; tyranny.
despotism ::: n. --> The power, spirit, or principles of a despot; absolute control over others; tyrannical sway; tyranny.
A government which is directed by a despot; a despotic monarchy; absolutism; autocracy.
despotist ::: n. --> A supporter of despotism.
despotize ::: v. t. --> To act the despot.
despot ::: n. --> A master; a lord; especially, an absolute or irresponsible ruler or sovereign.
One who rules regardless of a constitution or laws; a tyrant.
despread ::: v. t. & i. --> See Dispread.
despumated ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Despumate
despumate ::: v. t. & i. --> To throw off impurities in spume; to work off in foam or scum; to foam.
despumating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Despumate
despumation ::: n. --> The act of throwing up froth or scum; separation of the scum or impurities from liquids; scumming; clarification.
despume ::: v. t. --> To free from spume or scum.
desquamate ::: v. i. --> To peel off in the form of scales; to scale off, as the skin in certain diseases.
desquamation ::: n. --> The separation or shedding of the cuticle or epidermis in the form of flakes or scales; exfoliation, as of bones.
desquamative ::: a. --> Alt. of Desquamatory
desquamatory ::: a. --> Of, pertaining to, or attended with, desquamation. ::: n. --> An instrument formerly used in removing the laminae of exfoliated bones.
dessert ::: n. --> A service of pastry, fruits, or sweetmeats, at the close of a feast or entertainment; pastry, fruits, etc., forming the last course at dinner.
dess ::: n. --> Dais.
destemper ::: n. --> A kind of painting. See Distemper.
destinable ::: a. --> Determined by destiny; fated.
destinably ::: adv. --> In a destinable manner.
destinal ::: a. --> Determined by destiny; fated.
destinate ::: a. --> Destined. ::: v. t. --> To destine, design, or choose.
destination ::: n. --> The act of destining or appointing.
Purpose for which anything is destined; predetermined end, object, or use; ultimate design.
The place set for the end of a journey, or to which something is sent; place or point aimed at.
destined ::: foreordained by a divine decree; certain.
destined ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Destine
destine ::: v. t. --> To determine the future condition or application of; to set apart by design for a future use or purpose; to fix, as by destiny or by an authoritative decree; to doom; to ordain or preordain; to appoint; -- often with the remoter object preceded by to or for.
destinies ::: pl. --> of Destiny
destining ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Destine
destinist ::: n. --> A believer in destiny; a fatalist.
destin ::: n. --> Destiny.
destiny ::: 1. Something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune. 2. The predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events. 3. The power or agency that determines the course of events. 4. *(Cap.) This power personified or represented as a goddess. *Destiny, destinies, world-destiny.
destiny ::: “Destiny in the rigid sense applies only to the outer being so long as it lives in the Ignorance. What we call destiny is only in fact the result of the present condition of the being and the nature and energies it has accumulated in the past acting on each other and determining the present attempts and their future results. But as soon as one enters the path of spiritual life, this old predetermined destiny begins to recede. There comes in a new factor, the Divine Grace, the help of a higher Divine Force other than the force of Karma, which can lift the sadhak beyond the present possibilities of his nature. One’s spiritual destiny is then the divine election which ensures the future.” Letters on Yoga
destiny ::: n. --> That to which any person or thing is destined; predetermined state; condition foreordained by the Divine or by human will; fate; lot; doom.
The fixed order of things; invincible necessity; fate; a resistless power or agency conceived of as determining the future, whether in general or of an individual.
destituent ::: a. --> Deficient; wanting; as, a destituent condition.
destitute ::: a. --> Forsaken; not having in possession (something necessary, or desirable); deficient; lacking; devoid; -- often followed by of.
Not possessing the necessaries of life; in a condition of want; needy; without possessions or resources; very poor. ::: v. t. --> To leave destitute; to forsake; to abandon.
destitutely ::: adv. --> In destitution.
destituteness ::: n. --> Destitution.
destitute of useful qualities; serving no good end or profitable purpose; not answering or promoting the proposed or desired end; unserviceable, ineffectual.
destitution ::: n. --> The state of being deprived of anything; the state or condition of being destitute, needy, or without resources; deficiency; lack; extreme poverty; utter want; as, the inundation caused general destitution.
destrer ::: n. --> Alt. of Dextrer
destrie ::: v. t. --> To destroy.
destroy ::: 1. To reduce anything to useless fragments, a useless form, or remains, as by rending, burning, or dissolving; injuring beyond repair or renewal; demolish; ruin; annihilate. 2. To subdue or defeat completely; crush. 3. To slay, to kill. destroys, destroyed, destroying, world-destroying.
destroyable ::: a. --> Destructible.
destroyed, eradicated, as if by pulling out roots.
destroyed ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Destroy
destroyer ::: a person or thing that destroys.
destroyer ::: n. --> One who destroys, ruins, kills, or desolates.
destroying ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Destroy
destroy ::: v. t. --> To unbuild; to pull or tear down; to separate virulently into its constituent parts; to break up the structure and organic existence of; to demolish.
To ruin; to bring to naught; to put an end to; to annihilate; to consume.
To put an end to the existence, prosperity, or beauty of; to kill.
destructibility ::: n. --> The quality of being capable of destruction; destructibleness.
destructible ::: a. --> Liable to destruction; capable of being destroyed.
destructibleness ::: n. --> The quality of being destructible.
destruction ::: 1. The act of destroying. 2. The condition of having been destroyed; annihilation. Destruction"s.
destruction ::: “Destruction in itself is neither good nor evil. It is a fact of Nature, a necessity in the play of forces, as things are in this world. The Light destroys the Darkness and the Powers of Darkness, and that is not a movement of Ignorance!” Letters on Yoga
destructionist ::: n. --> One who delights in destroying that which is valuable; one whose principles and influence tend to destroy existing institutions; a destructive.
One who believes in the final destruction or complete annihilation of the wicked; -- called also annihilationist.
destruction ::: n. --> The act of destroying; a tearing down; a bringing to naught; subversion; demolition; ruin; slaying; devastation.
The state of being destroyed, demolished, ruined, slain, or devastated.
A destroying agency; a cause of ruin or of devastation; a destroyer.
destructive ::: a. --> Causing destruction; tending to bring about ruin, death, or devastation; ruinous; fatal; productive of serious evil; mischievous; pernicious; -- often with of or to; as, intemperance is destructive of health; evil examples are destructive to the morals of youth. ::: n.
destructively ::: adv. --> In a destructive manner.
destructiveness ::: n. --> The quality of destroying or ruining.
The faculty supposed to impel to the commission of acts of destruction; propensity to destroy.
destructor ::: n. --> A destroyer.
destructor "programming" A {function} provided by a {class} in {C++} and some other {object-oriented languages} to delete an object, the inverse of a {constructor}. (1998-04-28)
destruct ::: v. t. --> To destroy.
destruie ::: v. t. --> To destroy.
desudation ::: n. --> A sweating; a profuse or morbid sweating, often succeeded by an eruption of small pimples.
desuete ::: a. --> Disused; out of use.
desuetude ::: n. --> The cessation of use; disuse; discontinuance of practice, custom, or fashion.
desulphurated ::: imp. & p. p. --> of Desulphurate
desulphurate ::: v. t. --> To deprive of sulphur.
desulphurating ::: p. pr. & vb. n. --> of Desulphurate
desulphuration ::: n. --> The act or process of depriving of sulphur.
desulphurize ::: v. t. --> To desulphurate; to deprive of sulphur.
desultorily ::: adv. --> In a desultory manner; without method; loosely; immethodically.
desultoriness ::: n. --> The quality of being desultory or without order or method; unconnectedness.
desultorious ::: a. --> Desultory.
desultory ::: a. --> Leaping or skipping about.
Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence; disconnected; immethodical; aimless; as, desultory minds.
Out of course; by the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject; as, a desultory remark.
desume ::: v. t. --> To select; to borrow.
desynonymization ::: n. --> The act of desynonymizing.
desynonymize ::: v. t. --> To deprive of synonymous character; to discriminate in use; -- applied to words which have been employed as synonyms.
Descartes is one of the fathers of modern philosophy; his general influence is too extensive to be detailed. Leibniz, Spinoza, Malebranche, Clauberg, De La Forge, Geulincx, Placentius, Chouet, Legrand, Corneio -- these and many others spread Cartesianism throughout Europe. (See Boutroux, "Descartes and Cartesianism," Camb. Mod. Hist., IV, ch. 27.) At present, German Phenomenology, French Spiritualism and Positivism, Bergsonism, and certain forms of Catholic thought represented by J. Geyser in Germany and M. Blondel in France, are offshoots of Cartesianism.
Descartes, Rene: See Cartesianism. Description, Knowledge by: (Lat. de + scribere, to write) Knowledge about things in contrast to direct acquaintance with things. See Acquaintance, Knowledge by. Description is opposed to exact definition in the Port Royal Logic (Part II, ch. XVI). Among the first to contrast description and acquaintance was G. Grote (Exploratio Philosophica, p. 60. See also W. James, Principles of Psychology, Vol. I, pp. 221 ff. and B. Russell, Problems of Philosophy, ch. V.) -- L.W.
Descent 4 3 (>2-3 51
Descent into the most physical ::: It brings light, consciousness, force, Ananda into the cells and all the physical movements. The body becomes conscious and vi^ant and performs the right movements, obeying the higher will or else automatically by the force of the consciousness that has come into iL It becomes more possible to control the functions of the body and set right any> thing that is mong, to deal with illness and pain etc. A greater control comes over the actions of the body and even ov'er bap> penings to it from outside, e.g. minimising of aeddents and small happenings. The body becomes a more effective instrument for work. It becomes possible to mimmise fatigue. Peace, happiness, strength, lightness come in the whole system. There is also the unity with the earth-consdousness, the constant sense of the
Descent of the Force . Force descending into the head ::: it has two sides to it ::: one is peace and when that is prominent, there is the sense of coolness ; when there is a strong dynamic action instead, the feeling may be of heat, Agni-pow’cr.
Descent
DESCENT. ::: The descent is that of the powers of the higher consciousness which is above the head. It. comes in order to transform the consciousness.
Descent — three kinds ::: One is the touching of the base of the centres wWch rest on the spinal chord- Another is through the head into the body going from level to level till the whole body is filled and opening all the centres of consciousness.
Descriptions: Where a formula A containing a free variable -- say, for example, x -- means a true proposition (is true) for one and only one value of x, the notation (iota;x)A is used to mean thit value of x. The approximately equivalent English phraseology is "the x such that A" -- or simply 'the F," where F denotes the concept (monadic propositional function) obtained from A by abstraction (q. v.) with respect to x. This notation, or its sense in the sense of Frege, is called a description.
Descriptive Intermediate Attributed Notation for Ada "language" (DIANA) A formerly {de facto standard} {intermediate language} for {Ada} programs, developed by Goos and Wulf at {CMU} in January 1981. DIANA is an {attributed tree} representation, with an abstract interface defined in {Interface Description Language} (Nestor, Lamb and Wulf, CMU, 1981; Snodgrass(?), 1989(?)). DIANA resulted from a merger of {AIDA} and {TCOL.Ada}. At the present (2001) it is no longer used by the major ADA compilers ["DIANA - An Intermediate Language for Ada", G.T. Goos et al, LNCS 161, Springer 1983]. (2001-09-15)
Descriptive Statistics ::: The branch of statistics that focuses on describing in numerical format what is happening now within a population. Descriptive statistics require that all subjects in the population (the entire class, all males in a school, all professors) be tested.
Descriptive Top-Level Specification (DTLS) A language used in {POSIX} and {TRUSIX}. (1994-11-11)
Desctnt
DES {Data Encryption Standard}
Desert
DESERT. ::: The feeling of the desert comes because of the resistance of the vital which wants hfe to be governed by desire.
Designate: A word, symbol, or expression may be said to designate that object (abstract or concrete) to which it refers, or of which it is a name or sign. See Name relation. -- A.C.
Designated values: See Propositional calculus, many-valued. Designatum: The designatum of a word, symbol, or expression is that which it designates (q. v.). -- A.C.
Design In Real Time "programming" (Dirt) A user {interface builder} for the {X Window System} by R. Hesketh. (1994-12-07)
Design System language J. Gaffney, Evans & Sutherland 1976. Interpretive FORTH-like language for 3d graphics databases. Earliest forerunner of both Interpress and PostScript. Mentioned in PostScript Language Reference Manual, Adobe Systems, A-W 1985.
Desimy
Desire ::: Desire is only a mode of the emotional mind which by ignorance seeks its delight in the object of desire and not in the Brahman who expresses Himself in the object.
Ref: CWSA Vol. 17, Page: 20
DESIRE. ::: Desires come from outside, enter the subconscious vital and rise to the surface- It is only when they rise to the surface and the mind becomes aware of them, that we become conscious of the desire.
Desire is a child-heart’s cry crying for bliss,
Desire is only the stimulus by which Life tempts its own positive being to rise out of the negation of unfulfilled hunger towards the full possession of the delight of existence.
Ref: CWSA Vol. 21-22, Page: 211
Desire nothing but the purity, force, fight, wideness, calm, Ananda of the divine consciousness and Us insistence to transform and perfect your mind, life and body. Ask for notfifng 6ut the divine, spiritual and supramenfal Truth, its realisation on earth and in you and in all who arc called and chosen and the condi- tions needed for its creation and its Wcfoiy over all opposing forces.
Desire-rejection ::: the rejection of desire is essentially the rejection of the element of craving, putting that out from the consciousness itself as a foreign clement not belonging to the true self and the inner nature. But refusal to indulge the sugges- tions of desire is also a part of the rejection ; to abstain from the action suggested, if it is not the right action, must be included in the yogic discipline. The first condition for getting rid of desire is, therefore, to become conscious with the true consciousness *, for then it becomes much easier to dismiss it than when one has to struggle with it as if it were a constituent part of oneself to be thrown out from the being. When the psychic being is in front, then also to get rid of desire becomes easy ; for the psychic being has in itself no desires, it has only aspirations and a seeking and love for the Divine and all things that are or tend towards the Divine.
Desire-soiil ::: The vital with its mixed aspirations, desires, hungers of all kinds, good and bad, its emotions, finer and grosser, or sensational urges crossed by the mind’s idealismgs and psychic stresses.
Desktop Management Interface "standard, operating system" (DMI) A {specification} from the {Desktop Management Task Force} (DMTF) that establishes a standard {framework} for managing networked computers. DMI covers {hardware} and {software}, {desktop} systems and {servers}, and defines a model for filtering events and describing {interfaces}. DMI provides a common path for technical support, IT managers, and individual users to access information about all aspects of a computer - including {processor} type, installation date, attached {printers} and other {peripherals}, power sources, and maintenance history. It provides a common format for describing products to aid vendors, systems integrators, and end users in enterprise desktop management. DMI is not tied to any specific hardware, operating system, or management protocols. It is easy for vendors to adopt, mappable to existing management protocols such as {Simple Network Management Protocol} (SNMP), and can be used on non-network computers. DMI's four components are: Management Information Format (MIF) - a text file containing information about the hardware and software on a computer. Manufacturers can create their own MIFs specific to a component. Service layer - an OS add-on that connects the management interface and the component interface and allows management and component software to access MIF files. The service layer also includes a common interface called the local agent, which is used to manage individual components. Component interface (CI) - an {application program interface} (API) that sends status information to the appropriate MIF file via the service layer. Commands include Get, Set, and Event. Management interface (MI) - the management software's interface to the service layer. Commands are Get, Set, and List. CI, MI, and service layer drivers are available on the Internet. {Intel}'s {LANDesk Client Manager} (LDCM) is based on DMI. Version: 2.0s (as of 2000-01-19). {(http://dmtf.org/spec/dmis.html)}. {Sun overview (http://sun.com/solstice/products/ent.agents/presentations/sld014.html)}. (2000-01-19)
Desktop Management Task Force "body" (DMTF) The industry consortium that develops, supports, and maintains standards for systems management of {PC} systems and products, to reduce total cost of ownership. These include the {Desktop Management Interface} (DMI), the most-widely used management standard today. The DMTF is participating in an industry effort to create a standard for management over the {Internet}. They are defining an {object-oriented} {Common Information Model} (CIM). {(http://dmtf.org/)}. (2000-01-19)
DESQview A system from {Quarterdeck Office Systems} implementing {multitasking} under {MS-DOS}.
DESTINY. ::: Destiny in the ripd sense applies only to the outer being so long as it lives in the Ignorance. What we call destiny is only in fact the result of the present condition of the being and the nature and energies it has accumulated in the past acting on each other and detenmning the present attempts and their future results. But as soon as one enters the path of spiri- tual life, this old predetermined destiny begins to recede. There comes in a new factor, the Divine Grace, the help of a higher
Destiny: (Fr. destiner. to be intended) Future necessity; the legal outcome of actuality. Divine foreordainment, or the predetermined and unalterable course of events. Defined by Peirce (1839-1914) as the embodiment of generals in existence. -- J.K.F.
DESY Deutsches Electronen Synchrotron Laboratory, Hamburg, Germany.
TERMS ANYWHERE
1. Appearing sad or lonely because deserted or abandoned. 2. Forsaken or deprived.
1. Causing irreversible ruin, destruction or death; disastrous. 2. Decisively important; fateful. 3. Proceeding from or decreed by fate; inevitable. 4. Influencing or concerned with fate; fatalistic.
1. Experiencing a desire or a pressing need for food. 2.* Fig. Extremely desirous; having a craving; avid. *3. Lacking needful or desirable elements.
1. Having momentous significance or consequences; decisively important. 2. Fatal, deadly, or disastrous. 3. Controlled or determined by destiny; inexorable. 4. Prophetic; ominous.
1. Not proud or arrogant; modest. 2. Low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.; lowly.
1. The act, power or property of appealing, alluring, enticing or inviting. 2. A thing or feature which draws by appealing to desires, tastes, etc. 3. The action of a body or substance in drawing to itself, by some physical force, another to which it is not materially attached; the force thus exercised. attractions.
1. The condition of being deceived by a false perception, belief or appearance. 2. Something, such as a fantastic plan or desire that causes an erroneous belief or perception; as a deceptive apparition etc. Illusion, illusion"s, Illusion"s, illusions, illusion-makers.
1. The quality or condition of being the same as something else. 2. The state or fact of being the same one as described; personal or individual existence. Identity, identity"s.
1. The state or quality of being divine. 2. A deity, such as a god or goddess; the Supreme Being. 3. The nature of a deity or the state of being divine. 4. A being having divine attributes, ranking below God but above humans. divinity"s, divinities.
1. To become dim, as light, or lose brightness of illumination. 2.* Become less clearly visible or distinguishable; disappear gradually or seemingly, lit. and fig. *3. To lose strength or vitality; wane. 4. To vanish slowly; die out. 5. To grow dim, fade away, become less loud. fades, faded, fading.
1. To be inadequate or insufficient; fall short. 2. To fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved. 3. To dwindle, pass, or die away. 4. To decline, as in strength or effectiveness; fig. of the heart. 5. Of some expected or usual resource: To prove of no use or help to. 6. Of a material thing: To break down under strain or pressure. fails, failed, failed.
1. To induce to undertake a course of action or embrace a point of view by means of argument, reasoning, or entreaty. 2. To induce to believe by appealing to reason or understanding; convince. persuades, persuaded, persuading.
abandon ::: 1. To give oneself up, devote oneself to (a person or thing); to yield oneself without restraint. 2. To withdraw one"s support or help from, especially in spite of duty, allegiance, or responsibility; desert: leave behind. 3. To give up; discontinue; withdraw from. abandons, abandoned, abandoning.
abandoned ::: 1. Given up, deserted, forsaken, cast off. 2. Left completely and finally, without help or support. 3. adj. Deserted.
abide ::: 1. To wait, stay, remain. 2. To remain in residence; to sojourn, reside, dwell. 3. To remain with; to stand firm by, to hold to, remain true to. 4. To continue in existence, endure, stand firm or sure. abides, abode, abiding.
abode ::: a dwelling-place, place of ordinary habitation; house or home. (Also pt. of abide.) abodes.
abolish ::: to put an end to, to do away with; to annul or make void; to demolish, destroy or annihilate. abolished, abolishing.
a breaker or destroyer of images, especially those set up for religious veneration.
absolute ::: adj. 1. Free from all imperfection or deficiency; complete, finished; perfect, consummate. 2. Of degree: Complete, entire; in the fullest sense. 3. Having ultimate power, governing totally; unlimited by a constitution or the concurrent authority of a parliament; arbitrary, despotic. 4. Existing without relation to any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing. 5. Capable of being thought or conceived by itself alone; unconditioned. 6. Considered independently of its being subjective or objective. n. 7. Something that is not dependent upon external conditions for existence or for its specific nature, size, etc. (opposed to relative). Absolute, Absolute"s, absolutes, absoluteness.
account ::: n. 1. A record of debts and credits, applied to other things than money or trade. 2. A particular statement or narrative of an event or thing; a relation, report, or description. v. 3. To render an account or reckoning of; to give a satisfactory reason for, to give an explanation.
action ::: 1. The process or condition of acting or doing (in the widest sense), the exertion of energy, influence, power or force. 2. A way or manner of moving. 3. A thing done, a deed**. action"s, actions, self-action.
"Action is a resultant of the energy of the being, but this energy is not of one sole kind; the Consciousness-Force of the Spirit manifests itself in many kinds of energies: there are inner activities of mind, activities of life, of desire, passion, impulse, character, activities of the senses and the body, a pursuit of truth and knowledge, a pursuit of beauty, a pursuit of ethical good or evil, a pursuit of power, love, joy, happiness, fortune, success, pleasure, life-satisfactions of all kinds, life-enlargement, a pursuit of individual or collective objects, a pursuit of the health, strength, capacity, satisfaction of the body.” The Life Divine*
"A divine Force is at work and will choose at each moment what has to be done or has not to be done, what has to be momentarily or permanently taken up, momentarily or permanently abandoned. For provided we do not substitute for that our desire or our ego, and to that end the soul must be always awake, always on guard, alive to the divine guidance, resistant to the undivine misleading from within or without us, that Force is sufficient and alone competent and she will lead us to the fulfilment along ways and by means too large, too inward, too complex for the mind to follow, much less to dictate. It is an arduous and difficult and dangerous way, but there is none other.” The Synthesis of Yoga
adj. 1. Having dropped or come down from a higher place, from an upright position, or from a higher level, degree, amount, quality, value, number. 2. Having sunk in reputation or honour; degraded. 3. Overthrown, destroyed or conquered, esp. of those who have died in battle. (Also, pp. of fall**.**)
adoration ::: 1. The act of paying honour, as to a divine being; worship. 2. Reverent homage. 3. Fervent and devoted love. **adoration"s.*Sri Aurobindo: "Especially in love for the Divine or for one whom one feels to be divine, the Bhakta feels an intense reverence for the Loved, a sense of something of immense greatness, beauty or value and for himself a strong impression of his own comparative unworthiness and a passionate desire to grow into likeness with that which one adores.” Letters on Yoga*
"A fabulous tribe of wild, beastlike monsters, having the upper part of a human being and the lower part of a horse. They live in the woods or mountains of Elis, Arcadia, and Thessaly. They are representative of wild life, animal desires and barbarism. (M.I.) Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo"s Works.*
aide ::: an assistant or helper. aides.
aim ::: n. Fig. 1. A thing intended or desired to be effected; an object, purpose. Aim, aims. *v. 2. To point or direct a gun, arrow, etc. toward. *aimed.
a large group, multitude, number, etc.; a mass or crowd. hordes.
algebra ::: the branch of mathematics that deals with general statements of relations, utilizing letters and other symbols to represent specific sets of numbers, values, vectors, etc., in the description of such relations. 2. Any special system of notation adapted to the study of a special system of relationship.
"All disease is a means towards some new joy of health, all evil & pain a tuning of Nature for some more intense bliss & good, all death an opening on widest immortality. Why and how this should be so, is God"s secret which only the soul purified of egoism can penetrate.” Essays Divine and Human
". . . all sin is an error of the will, a desire and act of the Ignorance.” The Synthesis of Yoga*
"All the limitlessly wise immortals desired and found the Child within us who is everywhere around us.” The Secret of the Veda
allured ::: 1. Attracted as to a lure; drawn or enticed to a place or to a course of action. 2. Attracted or tempted by something flattering or desirable; fascinated, charmed. alluring, **alluringly, allurement.
altitudes ::: high places or regions; elevated regions; great heights.
ambition ::: an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honour, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment. ambitions.
ambitioned ::: aspired to; desired; sought after earnestly.
"An Avatar, roughly speaking, is one who is conscious of the presence and power of the Divine born in him or descended into him and governing from within his will and life and action; he feels identified inwardly with this divine power and presence.” Letters on Yoga
ancestors ::: forebears; descendants. progenitors.
::: "An incarnation is something more, something special and individual to the individual being. It is the substitution of the Person of a divine being for the human person and an infiltration of it into all the movements so that there is a dynamic personal change in all of them and in the whole nature; not merely a change of the character of the consciousness or general surrender into its hands, but a subtle intimate personal change. Even when there is an incarnation from the birth, the human elements have to be taken up, but when there is a descent, there is a total conscious substitution.” Letters on Yoga
annihilate ::: to reduce to utter ruin or non-existence, destroy utterly. annihilation, annihilation"s.
antipodes ::: places diametrically opposite each other.
anvil ::: a heavy iron block with a smooth face, frequently of steel, on which heated metals are hammered into desired shapes.
appointed ::: 1. Predetermined; arranged; set. 2. Fixed by, through or as a result of authority; ordained; chosen; designated; selected.
arbitrary ::: 1. Based on or subject to individual will, judgment or preference: judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one"s discretion. 2. Capricious; unreasonable; unsupported. 3. Derived from mere opinion or preference; capricious; uncertain. 4. Having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical.
arc ::: 1. Any unbroken part of the circumference of a circle or other curved line. 2. A luminous bridge formed in a gap between two electrodes. arcs.
architecture ::: 1. The profession of designing buildings and other artificial constructions and environments, usually with some regard to aesthetic effect. 2. The character or style of building. 3. Construction or structure generally. architectures.
arc-lamps ::: general term for a class of lamps in which light is produced by a voltaic arc, a luminous arc between two electrodes typically made of tungsten or carbon and barely separated.
ardent ::: 1. Having, expressive of, or characterized by intense feeling; glowing with passion, animated by keen desire; intensely eager, zealous, fervent, fervid. 2. Burning, fiery, or hot. ardent-hued.
ardour ::: great warmth of feeling, passion or desire; zeal, fervour, eagerness, enthusiasm.
armour ::: 1. Any covering worn as a defense against weapons, especially a metallic sheathing, suit of armour, mail. 2. Any quality, characteristic, situation, or thing that serves as protection. armours, armoured.* n. 1. Weapons. v. 2. Provides with weapons or whatever will add strength, force or security; supports; fortifies. *armed, arming.
arms ::: n. 1. Weapons. v. 2. Provides with weapons or whatever will add strength, force or security; supports; fortifies. armed, arming.
art ::: v. archaic** A second person singular present indicative of be, now only poet., not in modern usage. All other references are to art as the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. Also, the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria. art"s, arts, art-parades.
"As for prayer, no hard and fast rule can be laid down. Some prayers are answered, all are not. You may ask, why should not then all prayers be answered? But why should they be? It is not a machinery: put a prayer in the slot and get your asking. Besides, considering all the contradictory things mankind is praying for at the same moment, God would be in a rather awkward hole if he had to grant all of them; it wouldn"t do.” *Letters on Yoga
"As for Vishnu being the creator, all the three gods are often spoken of as creating the universe — even Shiva who is by tradition the Destroyer.” Letters on Yoga
ashes ::: 1. Bodily remains, especially after cremation or decay. 2. Fig. Ruins; esp. the residue of something destroyed; remains.
aspiration ::: 1. A strong desire for high achievement. 2. A steadfast longing for something above oneself. **aspiration"s.
"Aspiration should be not a form of desire, but the feeling of an inner soul"s need, and a quiet settled will to turn towards the Divine and seek the Divine. It is certainly not easy to get rid of this mixture of desire entirely — not easy for anyone; but when one has the will to do it, this also can be effected by the help of the sustaining Force.” Letters on Yoga
aspire ::: to have a fixed desire, longing, or ambition for something at present above one; to seek to attain, yearn. aspires, aspired, aspiring.
"A SPIRITUAL evolution, an evolution of consciousness in Matter in a constant developing self-formation till the form can reveal the indwelling Spirit, is then the keynote, the central significant motive of the terrestrial existence. This significance is concealed at the outset by the involution of the Spirit, the Divine Reality, in a dense material Inconscience; a veil of Inconscience, a veil of insensibility of Matter hides the universal Consciousness-Force which works within it, so that the Energy, which is the first form the Force of creation assumes in the physical universe, appears to be itself inconscient and yet does the works of a vast occult Intelligence.” The Life Divine
assigned ::: appointed, designated, deputed, allotted, announced as a task. assigner.
associates ::: partners, comrades, companions, colleagues.
::: "A transcendent Bliss, unimaginable and inexpressible by the mind and speech, is the nature of the Ineffable. That broods immanent and secret in the whole universe and in everything in the universe. Its presence is described as a secret ether of the bliss of being, of which the Scripture says that, if this were not, none could for a moment breathe or live. And this spiritual bliss is here also in our hearts.” The Synthesis of Yoga
attitudes
autarchy ::: absolute rule or power; despotism; absolute sovereignty.
a vaguely defined deity symbolizing maternity, the fertility of the earth, and femininity in general; the central figure in the religions of ancient Anatolia, the Near East, and the eastern Mediterranean, later sometimes taking the form of a specific goddess.
avatars ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The word Avatar means a descent; it is a coming down of the Divine below the line which divides the divine from the human world or status.” *Essays on the Gita
avid ::: having an ardent desire or unbounded craving; desirous of.
babel ::: "The reference is to the mythological story of the construction of the Tower of Babel, which appears to be an attempt to explain the diversity of human languages. According to Genesis, the Babylonians wanted to make a name for themselves by building a mighty city and tower ‘with its top in the heavens". God disrupted the work by so confusing the language of the workers that they could no longer understand one another. The tower was never completed and the people were dispersed over the face of the earth.” (Encyclopaedia Britannica) Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo"s Works Sri Aurobindo: "The legend of the Tower of Babel speaks of the diversity of tongues as a curse laid on the race; but whatever its disadvantages, and they tend more and more to be minimised by the growth of civilisation and increasing intercourse, it has been rather a blessing than a curse, a gift to mankind rather than a disability laid upon it. The purposeless exaggeration of anything is always an evil, and an excessive pullulation of varying tongues that serve no purpose in the expression of a real diversity of spirit and culture is certainly a stumbling-block rather than a help: but this excess, though it existed in the past, is hardly a possibility of the future. The tendency is rather in the opposite direction. In former times diversity of language helped to create a barrier to knowledge and sympathy, was often made the pretext even of an actual antipathy and tended to a too rigid division. The lack of sufficient interpenetration kept up both a passive want of understanding and a fruitful crop of active misunderstandings. But this was an inevitable evil of a particular stage of growth, an exaggeration of the necessity that then existed for the vigorous development of strongly individualised group-souls in the human race. These disadvantages have not yet been abolished, but with closer intercourse and the growing desire of men and nations for the knowledge of each other"s thought and spirit and personality, they have diminished and tend to diminish more and more and there is no reason why in the end they should not become inoperative.” The Human Cycle
background ::: n.** 1. The general scene or surface against which designs, patterns, or figures are represented or viewed. 2. Fig. The complex of physical, cultural, and psychological factors that serves as the environment of an event or experience; the set of conditions against which an occurrence is perceived. backgrounds. adj. 3.** Of, pertaining to, or serving as a background.
basilicas ::: public buildings in ancient Rome having a central nave with an apse at one or both ends and two side aisles formed by rows of columns, which was used as an assembly hall – also Christian churches with a similar design.
descending ::: 1. Moving downwards, coming down. 2. Directed or extending downwards.
descend ::: to move or pass from a higher to a lower place; come down. Also fig. descends, descended.
descent ::: 1. The act or an instance of descending. 2. A downward incline or passage; a slope. Descent.
describe ::: 1. To represent pictorially; depict. 2. To trace the form or outline of. described, describing.
descry ::: 1. To see (something unclear or distant) by looking carefully; discern. 2. To discover, perceive, detect. descried.
desert ::: 1. A region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse and widely spaced vegetation or no vegetation at all. 2. Any area in which few forms of life can exist because of lack of water, permanent frost, or absence of soil. 3. Any place lacking in something; desolate, barren. deserts.
desert ::: v. To withdraw from, especially in spite of a responsibility or duty; forsake; abandon. deserting.
deserves ::: has earned as a right by one"s actions; is worthy. deserved.
design ::: n. 1. Purpose, aim, intention, especially with reference to a Divine Creator. 2. Plan or scheme. 3. A combination of details or features; pattern or motif. design"s, designs. *v. 4. To work out the structure or form of (something). 5. To plan and make (something) artistically or skilfully. *designed, designing.
designs or pictures transferred from engraved plates, wood blocks, lithographic stones or other media. flower-prints.
desirable ::: worth having or wanting; pleasing; excellent; or fine.
". . . desire is limitation and insecurity in a hunger for pleasure and satisfaction and not the seeking after the divine delight in things.” The Synthesis of Yoga*
desire ::: n. **1. A longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment. 2.** Sexual appetite or a sexual urge.
desire"s, desires. ::: v. **3. To wish or long for; want. desires, desired, desiring.
desirest ::: a native English form of the verb, to desire, now only in formal and poetic usage.
::: ". . . desire, wrath and greed, the three powers of the rajasic ego, and these are the threefold doors of Hell. . . .” Essays on the Gita
desist ::: to cease, as from an action; stop or abstain
desolate ::: 1. Uninhabited, laid waste, deserted, without any sign of life, barren. 2. Devoid of inhabitants; deserted. 3. Bereft of friends or hope; sad and forlorn. 4. Wretched or forlorn. 5. Dreary, dismal, gloomy. desolately.
despair ::: the state in which all hope is lost or absent. despairs, despairing *adj.* Characterized by or resulting from despair; hopeless.
desperate ::: actuated by a feeling of hopelessness; that leaves little or no room for hope; such as to be despaired of; extremely dangerous or serious.
despised ::: regarded with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorned; loathed.
despot ::: 1. A king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power; autocrat. 2. Any tyrant or oppressor.
despotism ::: 1. The rule of a despot; the exercise of absolute authority. 2. Absolute power or control; tyranny.
destined ::: foreordained by a divine decree; certain.
destiny ::: 1. Something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune. 2. The predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events. 3. The power or agency that determines the course of events. 4. *(Cap.) This power personified or represented as a goddess. *Destiny, destinies, world-destiny.
destroy ::: 1. To reduce anything to useless fragments, a useless form, or remains, as by rending, burning, or dissolving; injuring beyond repair or renewal; demolish; ruin; annihilate. 2. To subdue or defeat completely; crush. 3. To slay, to kill. destroys, destroyed, destroying, world-destroying.
destroyer ::: a person or thing that destroys.
destruction ::: 1. The act of destroying. 2. The condition of having been destroyed; annihilation. Destruction"s.
beatitude ::: supreme blessedness or happiness. beatitude"s, beatitudes.
beauty ::: the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, colour, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else, (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest). Beauty, beauty"s, Beauty"s, beauty-drenched, earth-beauty"s.
belief ::: 1. Confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof. 2. Trust or confidence, faith. 3. Something believed; an opinion or conviction. beliefs.
Question: "Sweet Mother, l don"t understand very clearly the difference between faith, belief and confidence.”
Mother: "But Sri Aurobindo has given the full explanation here. If you don"t understand, then. . . He has written ‘Faith is a feeling in the whole being." The whole being, yes. Faith, that"s the whole being at once. He says that belief is something that occurs in the head, that is purely mental; and confidence is quite different. Confidence, one can have confidence in life, trust in the Divine, trust in others, trust in one"s own destiny, that is, one has the feeling that everything is going to help him, to do what he wants to do. Faith is a certitude without any proof. Words of the Mother, MCW Vol. 6.
beset ::: 1. Attacked from all sides. 2. Hemmed in; surrounded.
bestrides ::: towers over, dominates, as a victor over the fallen.
blasted ::: knocked down; shattered; destroyed.
blazon ::: the description or representation of a coat of arms or banner bearing the symbol of a coat of arms.
bleak ::: 1. Exposed to the elements; unsheltered and barren; desolate; cold and cutting; raw, windswept. 2. Offering little or no hope or encouragement.
blind ::: adj. 1. Unable to see; lacking the sense of sight; sightless. Also fig. 2. Unwilling or unable to perceive or understand. 3. Lacking all consciousness or awareness. 4. Not having or based on reason or intelligence; absolute and unquestioning. 5. Not characterized or determined by reason or control. 6. Purposeless; fortuitous, random. 7. Undiscriminating; heedless; reckless. 8. Enveloped in darkness; dark, dim, obscure. 9. Dense enough to form a screen. 10. Covered or concealed from sight; hidden from immediate view. 11. Having no openings or passages for light; (a window or door) walled up. blindest, half-blind. v. 12. To deprive of sight permanently or temporarily. 13. To make sightless momentarily; dazzle. blinded.* n. 14. A blind person, esp. as pl., those who are blind. 15. Fig.* Any thing or action intended to conceal one"s real intention; a pretence, a pretext; subterfuge.
blinded ::: 1. Sightless; deprived of sight or withheld the light from. 2. Fig. Unable or unwilling to perceive or understand, lacking in perception or foresight; deprived or destitute of spiritual light or guidance. thought-blinded.
block ::: n. 1. A solid piece of a hard substance, such as wood, stone, etc. having one or more flat sides. Also fig. 2. Something that obstructs; an obstacle. blocks. *v. 3. To impede, retard, prevent or obstruct the progress or achievement of (someone or something). Also fig.*
blood-lust ::: the desire for bloodshed.
blot ::: n. 1. A dark spot or stain. 2. Something likened to a blot that destroys. v. 3. To make obscure; hide. 4. To destroy utterly; annihilate. blotted.
bourne ::: 1. A boundary; a limit. 2. A destination; a goal. Also fig. and poetic.
breaks up. ::: 1. Breaks into many parts; divides or become divided into pieces. 2. Dissolves, disbands, puts an end to, gives up; breaks up a house, household, etc.
break ::: v. 1. To destroy by or as if by shattering or crushing. 2. To force or make a way through (a barrier, etc.). 3. To vary or disrupt the uniformity or continuity of. 4. To overcome or put an end to. 5. To destroy or interrupt a regularity, uniformity, continuity, or arrangement of; interrupt. 6. To intrude upon; interrupt a conversation, etc. 7. To discontinue or sever an association, an agreement, or a relationship. **8. To overcome or wear down the spirit, strength, or resistance of. 9. (usually followed by in, into or out). 10. To filter or penetrate as sunlight into a room. 11. To come forth suddenly. 12. To utter suddenly; to express or start to express an emotion, mood, etc. 13. Said of waves, etc. when they dash against an obstacle, or topple over and become surf or broken water in the shallows. 14. To part the surface of water, as a ship or a jumping fish. breaks, broke, broken, breaking.* *n. 15.** An interruption or a disruption in continuity or regularity.
bride ::: 1. A woman who is about to be married or has recently been married. Also fig. 2. The divine creatrix. Bride, brides, earth-bride.
brocade ::: a thick, rich fabric woven with a raised design, often using gold or silver threads. brocades.
broideries ::: embroidered needle-work designs in gold, silver, and other threads on cloth.
bureau ::: 1. A chest of drawers, especially a dresser for holding clothes, often with a desk top. 2. An office, usually of large organization, that is responsible for a specific duty such as administration, public business, etc.
burn ::: 1. To be very eager; aflame with activity, as to be on fire. 2. To emit heat or light by as if by combustion; to flame.. 3. To give off light or to glow brightly. 4. To light; a candle; incense, etc.) as an offering. 5. To suffer punishment or death by or as if by fire; put to death by fire. 6. To injure, endanger, or damage with or as if with fire. 7. Fig. To be consumed with strong emotions; be aflame with desire; anger; etc. 8. To shine intensely; to seem to glow as if on fire. burns, burned, burnt, burning.
"But man also has a life-mind, a vital mentality which is an instrument of desire: this is not satisfied with the actual, it is a dealer in possibilities; it has the passion for novelty and is seeking always to extend the limits of experience for the satisfaction of desire, for enjoyment, for an enlarged self-affirmation and aggrandisement of its terrain of power and profit. It desires, enjoys, possesses actualities, but it hunts also after unrealised possibilities, is ardent to materialise them, to possess and enjoy them also. It is not satisfied with the physical and objective only, but seeks too a subjective, an imaginative, a purely emotive satisfaction and pleasure.” *The Life Divine
cajoles ::: persuades by flattery or promises; wheedles; coaxes.
calm ::: n. 1. Serenity; tranquillity; peace. 2. Nearly or completely motionless as a condition of no wind. Calm, Calm"s, calms, calmness. adj. 3. Not excited or agitated; composed; tranquil; 4. Without rough motion; still or nearly still. calmer, calm-lipped, stone-calm. *adv. calmly.
Sri Aurobindo: "Calm is a still unmoved condition which no disturbance can affect — it is a less negative condition than quiet.” Letters on Yoga*
"Calm is a positive tranquillity which can exist in spite of superficial disturbances.” *Letters on Yoga
"Calm is a strong and positive quietude, firm and solid — ordinary quietude is mere negation, simply the absence of disturbance.” *Letters on Yoga
"But more powerful still is the giving up of the fruit of one"s works, because that immediately destroys all causes of disturbance and brings and preserves automatically an inner calm and peace, and calm and peace are the foundation on which all else becomes perfect and secure in possession by the tranquil spirit.” Essays on the Gita
The Mother: "Calm is self-possessed strength, quiet and conscious energy, mastery of the impulses, control over the unconscious reflexes.” Words of the Mother, MCW Vol. 14*.
captain ::: 1. One who commands, leads, or guides others. 2. The officer in command of a ship, an aircraft, or a spacecraft.
caravan ::: a company of travelers journeying together, as across a desert or through hostile territory. 2. A procession or train likened to a caravan. caravans.
caricature ::: a grotesque imitation, misrepresentation or distorted image, as a drawing or description of a person which exaggerates characteristic features for comic effect.
carved ::: 1. Divided into pieces by cutting; sliced. 2. Cut or sculpted into a desired shape; fashioned by cutting. 3. Engraved or cut figures. carves, carving, close-carved, star-carved.
carving ::: v. **1. Sculpting into a desired shape. Also fig.* *n. 2. A figure or design produced by carving stone or wood. carving"s.**
certitude ::: freedom from doubt, esp. in matters of faith or opinion; certainty. certitudes.
chemic ::: chemical. ::: cheque ::: a written order, usually on a standard printed form, directing a bank to pay money to a person or designated bearer. cheques.
chequered ::: 1. Marked by numerous and various shifts and changes. 2. Marked by dubious episodes; suspect in character or quality. 3. Diversified in colour, variegated.
chides ::: expresses disapproval of; scolds; reproaches. chiding.
circean ::: relating to or resembling Circe, the fabled enchantress described by Homer. She was supposed to possess great knowledge of magic and venomous herbs which she offered as a drink to her charmed and fascinated victims who then changed into swine; hence, pleasing, but harmful; fascinating, but degrading.
circumambient ::: encompassing on all sides; surrounding.
clan ::: a group of people regarded as being descended from a common ancestor; a tribe. clans.
clavichord ::: an early keyboard instrument producing a soft sound by means of metal blades attached to the inner ends of the keys gently striking the strings.
climes ::: 1. Poetic: Regions or their climates; atmospheres. 2. The prevailing attitudes, standards or conditions of a group, period, or place.
clogs ::: fig. Hampers the function or activity of; impedes.
code ::: 1. A system of symbols, letters, or words given certain arbitrary meanings, used for transmitting messages requiring secrecy or brevity. 2. A systematic collection of regulations and rules of procedure or conduct. codes.
coerce ::: 1. To compel or restrain by force or authority without regard to individual wishes or desires. 2. To dominate or control, esp. by exploiting fear, anxiety, etc. 3. To bring about through the use of force or other forms of compulsion. coerced, coercing.
colony ::: a group of emigrants or their descendants who settle in a distant territory but remain subject to or closely associated with the parent country. colonies.
compassion ::: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. compassion"s.
comrade ::: one who shares in one"s activities, occupation, etc.; companion, associate, or friend. comrades, comradeship.
conception ::: 1. Origin or beginning. 2. The act or power of forming notions, ideas, or concepts. 3. The act of conceiving; the state of being conceived; fertilization; inception of pregnancy. 4. Something conceived in the mind; a concept, plan, design, idea, or thought. conception"s.
concupiscence ::: strong desire, especially sexual desire; lust.
consumed ::: destroyed totally; destroyed or expended by use. consuming.
contrivings ::: clever and ingenious designs, plans, schemes.
corrupt ::: 1. To destroy or subvert the honesty or integrity of. 2. To ruin morally; pervert. 3. To cause to become rotten; spoil. 4. To taint; contaminate. corrupted, corrupting.
count ::: n. 1. The act of counting; or calculating. v. 2. To take account of; reckon to another"s credit. 3. To have merit, importance, value, etc.; deserve consideration. counts, counted, counting.
courage ::: the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.
covet ::: 1. To desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others. 2. To wish for, especially eagerly. coveted.
crave ::: 1. To have an intense desire for. 2. To need urgently; require. 3. To beg earnestly for; implore. craves, craved, craving.
create ::: 1. To cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes. 2. To evolve from one"s own thought or imagination, as a work of art or an invention. 3. To cause to happen; to bring about; arrange, as by intention or design. creates, created, creating, all-creating, self-creating, world-creating, new-create.
cross ::: 1. A structure consisting essentially of an upright and a transverse piece, upon which persons were formerly put to a cruel and ignominious death by being nailed or otherwise fastened to it by their extremities. 2. A representation or delineation of a cross on any surface, varying in elaborateness from two lines crossing each other to an ornamental design painted, embroidered, carved, etc.; used as a sacred mark, symbol, badge, or the like. 3. A trouble, vexation, annoyance; misfortune, adversity; sometimes anything that thwarts or crosses. v. 4. To go or extend across; pass from one side of to the other: pass over. 5. To extend or pass through or over; intersect. 6. To encounter in passing. crosses, crossed, crossing.
cross ::: Sri Aurobindo: ". . . the cross is the sign of the Divine Descent barred and marred by the transversal line of a cosmic deformation which turns it into a stake of suffering and misfortune. Only by the ascent to the original Truth can the deformation be healed and all the works of love, as too all the works of knowledge and of life, be restored to a divine significance and become part of an integral spiritual existence.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
crystal ::: 1. A mineral, especially a transparent form of quartz, having a crystalline structure, often characterized by external planar faces. 2. Resembling crystal; transparent as water or a liquid. 3. Fig. Sometimes used to describe the eyes.
debate ::: 1. A discussion involving opposing points; an argument. 2. A formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition are advocated by opposing speakers.
debris ::: the scattered remains of something broken or destroyed; rubble or wreckage.
define ::: 1. To explain or identify the nature or essential qualities of; describe. 2. To make clear the outline or form of.
deity ::: 1. A god or goddess. 2. Divine character or nature, esp. that of the Supreme Being; divinity. deities. ::: the Deity. God, Supreme Being. **Deity"s.
delivery ::: the carrying and turning over of letters, goods, etc. to a designated recipient.
derelict ::: deserted by an owner or keeper; abandoned; deserted.
"Desire is at once the motive of our actions, our lever of accomplishment and the bane of our existence.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"Desire is the lever by which the divine Life-principle effects its end of self-affirmation in the universe. . . " The Life Divine
"Desire is the root of all sorrow, disappointment, affliction, for though it has a feverish joy of pursuit and satisfaction, yet because it is always a straining of the being, it carries into its pursuit and its getting a labour, hunger, struggle, a rapid subjection to fatigue, a sense of limitation, dissatisfaction and early disappointment with all its gains, a ceaseless morbid stimulation, trouble, disquiet, asânti. ” The Synthesis of Yoga
"Destruction is always a simultaneous or alternate element which keeps pace with creation and it is by destroying and renewing that the Master of Life does his long work of preservation. More, destruction is the first condition of progress. Inwardly, the man who does not destroy his lower self-formations, cannot rise to a greater existence. Outwardly also, the nation or community or race which shrinks too long from destroying and replacing its past forms of life, is itself destroyed, rots and perishes and out of its debris other nations, communities and races are formed. By destruction of the old giant occupants man made himself a place upon earth. By destruction of the Titans the gods maintain the continuity of the divine Law in the cosmos. Whoever prematurely attempts to get rid of this law of battle and destruction, strives vainly against the greater will of the World-Spirit.” Essays on the Gita
device ::: 1. Something devised or framed by art or inventive power; an invention, contrivance for some particular purpose. 2. A plan or scheme, especially a malign one. 3. Something elaborately or fancifully designed. devices.
devised ::: formed, planned, or arranged in the mind; designed or contrived.
devoid ::: completely lacking; destitute or empty.
dire ::: 1. Causing or involving great fear or suffering; dreadful; terrible. 2. Indicating trouble, disaster, misfortune, or the like. 3. Urgent; desperate. direr.
disaster ::: an occurrence that causes great distress or destruction. disasters".
discolouring ::: changing or causing to change in colour; fading or staining, often in an undesired manner.
discontent ::: 1. A restless desire or craving for something one does not have. 2. Lack of content; dissatisfaction.
disdain ::: n. 1. A feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; haughty contempt; scorn. v. 2. To look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn. disdained, disdaining.
disframe ::: to derange or destroy the form of.
disrupt ::: 1. To cause disorder or turmoil in. 2. To destroy, usually temporarily, the normal continuance or unity of; interrupt. 3. To break apart. disrupted.
divide ::: to separate from something else; cut off. divides, divided.
divine Comedy ::: a stage-play of a light and amusing character, with a happy conclusion to its plot. Its mediaeval use for a narrative poem with an agreeable ending. (Probably taken from Italian; cf. the Divine Comedy, the great tripartite poem of Dante, called by its author La Commedia, because in the conclusion, it is prosperous, pleasant, and desirable.)
divine Force ::: Sri Aurobindo: "That there is a divine force asleep or veiled by Inconscience in Matter and that the Higher Force has to descend and awaken it with the Light and Truth is a thing that is well known; it is at the very base of this yoga.” *Letters on Yoga.
::: "Divinisation itself does not mean the destruction of the human elements; it means taking them up, showing them the way to their own perfection, raising them by purification and perfection to their full power and Ananda and that means the raising of the whole of earthly life to its full power and Ananda.” Letters on Yoga
doom ::: 1. Fate, especially a tragic or ruinous one. 2. Inevitable destruction or ruin. 3. A judgement, decision, or sentence, esp. an unfavourable one. doom"s, doomed, doom-crack.
downward ::: adj. 1. Descending from a source or beginning. 2. Moving or tending to a lower place or condition. 3. Toward a lower amount, degree, or rank. adv. 4. Spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower level or position.
dragon of the dark foundation ::: Sri Aurobindo: "All this action and struggle and ascension is supported by Heaven our Father and Earth our Mother, Parents of the Gods, who sustain respectively the purely mental and psychic and the physical consciousness. Their large and free scope is the condition of our achievement. Vayu, Master of life, links them together by the mid-air, the region of vital force. And there are other deities, — Parjanya, giver of the rain of heaven; Dadhikravan, the divine war-horse, a power of Agni; the mystic Dragon of the Foundations; Trita Aptya who on the third plane of existence consummates our triple being; and more besides.” The Secret of the Veda
drain ::: v. 1. To deplete (a person or a thing) gradually, especially to the point of complete exhaustion. n. 2. A gradual depletion of energy or resources. 3. Something (a ditch, trench, waterpipe etc.) designed to carry away water. drained.
draw ::: 1. To cause to move in a given direction or to a given position, as by leading. 2. To bring towards oneself or itself, as by inherent force or influence; attract. 3. To cause to come by attracting; attract. 4. To cause to move in a particular direction by or as by a pulling force; pull; drag. 5. To get, take or obtain as from a source; to derive. 6. To bring, take, or pull out, as from a receptacle or source. 7. To draw a (or the) line (fig.) to determine or define the limit between two things or groups; in modern colloquial use (esp. with at), to lay down a definite limit of action beyond which one refuses to go. 8. To make, sketch (a picture or representation of someone or something) in lines or words; to design, trace out, delineate; depict; also, to mould, model. 9. To mark or lay out; trace. 10. To compose or write out in legal format. 11. To write out (a bill of exchange or promissory note). 12. To disembowel. 13. To move or pull so as to cover or uncover something. 14. To suck or take in (air, for example); inhale. 15. To extend, lengthen, prolong, protract. 16. To cause to move after or toward one by applying continuous force; drag. draws, drew, drawn, drawing, wide-drawn.
drop ::: n. 1. A small quantity of liquid that forms or falls in a spherical or pear-shaped mass; globule. Also fig. of things immaterial. 2. The action or an act of dropping; fall, descent. drops. v. 3. To let or cause to fall (like a drop or drops). Also fig. **drops, dropped, dropping.**
durga ::: "In Hindu religion, the goddess who is the Energy of Shiva and the conquering and protecting aspect of the Universal Mother. She is the slayer of many demons including Mahisasura. Durga is usually depicted in painting and sculpture riding a lion, having eight or ten arms, each holding the special weapon of one or another of the gods who gave them to her for her battles with demons. (A; Enc. Br.)” *Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo"s Works.
"Each person follows in the world his own line of destiny which is determined by his own nature and actions — the meaning and necessity of what happens in a particular life cannot be understood except in the light of the whole course of many lives. But this can be seen by those who can get beyond the ordinary mind and feelings and see things as a whole, that even errors, misfortunes, calamities are steps in the journey, — the soul gathering experience as it passes through and beyond them until it is ripe for the transition which will carry it beyond these things to a higher consciousness and higher life.” Letters on Yoga*
eager ::: 1. Having or showing keen interest, intense desire, or impatient expectancy. 2. Impatiently desirous (of); anxious or avid for.
earn ::: 1. To obtain or deserve (something) as the reward of labour. 2. To deserve; to obtain as a recompense. earned.
earth ::: 1. The realm of mortal existence; the temporal world. 2. The softer, friable part of land; soil, especially productive soil. **Earth, earth"s, earth-beauty"s, earth-being"s, earth-beings, earth-bounds, earth-bride, earth-fact, earth-force, Earth-Goddess, earth-hearts, earth-habit"s, earth-heart, earth-instruments, earth-kind, earth-life, earth-light, earth-made, earth-matter"s, earth-mind, earth-mind"s, earth-myth, earth-nature, earth-nature"s, Earth-Nature"s, earth-nursed, earth-pain, Earth-plasm, earth-poise, earth-scene, earth-scene"s, earth-seat, earth-shapes, earth-stage, earth-stuff, earth-time, earth-time"s, earth-use, earth-vision, earth-ways, summer-earth.
easily broken, damaged, or destroyed; brittle; frail. Also fig.
easily broken or destroyed; fragile. frailty.
edge ::: n. 1. A dividing line; a border. Also fig. 2. Poet. A thin, sharpened side, as of the blade of a cutting instrument. 3. Fig. A brink or verge. 4. Sharpness or keenness of language, argument, tone of voice, appetite, desire, etc. flame-edge. *v. 5. To put a border or edge on . 6. Fig. To give keenness, sharpness, or urgency to. *edging.
elude ::: 1. To avoid or escape by speed, cleverness, trickery, etc.; evade. 2. To escape the understanding, perception, or appreciation of. eludes.
emblem ::: a sign, design, or figure that identifies or represents someone or something.
"Emotion is a good element in yoga; but emotional desire becomes easily a cause of perturbation and an obstacle. Turn your emotions towards the Divine, aspire for their purification; they will then become a help on the way and no longer a cause of suffering.” Letters on Yoga*
"Emptiness is not in itself a bad condition, only if it is a sad and restless emptiness of the dissatisfied vital. In sadhana emptiness is very usually a necessary transition from one state to another. When mind and vital fall quiet and their restless movements, thoughts and desires cease, then one feels empty. This is at first often a neutral emptiness with nothing in it, nothing in it either good or bad, happy or unhappy, no impulse or movement. This neutral state is often or even usually followed by the opening to inner experience. There is also an emptiness made of peace and silence, when the peace and silence come out from the psychic within or descend from the higher consciousness above. This is not neutral, for in it there is the sense of peace, often also of wideness and freedom. There is also a happy emptiness with the sense of something close or drawing near which is not yet there, e.g. the closeness of the Mother or some other preparing experience.” Letters on Yoga*
empty ::: 1. Holding or containing nothing. 2. Having no occupants or inhabitants; vacant. 3. Destitute of some quality or qualities; devoid. 4. Without purpose, substance, or value. emptier.
encounters ::: meetings, face to face, esp. undesignedly or casually.
engineers ::: those who design, plan or mastermind. Also fig.
enticing ::: leading on by exciting hope or desire; alluring.
entry ::: 1. The act or an instance of entering. 2.* Something that provides access to get in or get out. Also fig. *3. Permission or right to enter; access. entry"s, entries.
::: Equality means a quiet and unmoved mind and vital, it means not to be touched or disturbed by things that happen or things said or done to you, but to look at them with a straight look, free from the distortions created by personal feeling, and to try to understand what is behind them, why they happen, what is to be learnt from them, what is it in oneself which they are cast against and what inner profit or progress one can make out of them; it means self-mastery over the vital movements, — anger and sensitiveness and pride as well as desire and the rest, — not to let them get hold of the emotional being and disturb the inner peace, not to speak and act in the rush and impulsion of these things, always to act and speak out of a calm inner poise of the spirit.” *Letters on Yoga
::: "Erinyes, in Greek mythology, the goddesses of vengeance, usually represented as three winged maidens, with snakes in their hair. They pursued criminals, drove them mad, and tormented them in Hades. They were spirits of punishment, avenging wrongs done especially to kindred. In Roman literature they were called Furies.” *Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo"s Works*
erotic ::: 1. Of, concerning, or arousing sexual desire or giving sexual pleasure.
extended ::: 1. Spread out or elongated in breadth or length. 2. Fully extended or stretched forth. 3. Widespread or extensive; having extension or spatial magnitude.
extinguished ::: 1. Put an end to (hopes, for example); destroyed. 2. Put out, quenched. 3. Obscured; eclipsed.
::: **"Faith is a certitude in the soul which does not depend on reasoning, on this or that mental idea, on circumstances, on this or that passing condition of the mind or the vital or the body. It may be hidden, eclipsed, may even seem to be quenched, but it reappears again after the storm or the eclipse; it is seen burning still in the soul when one has thought that it was extinguished for ever. The mind may be a shifting sea of doubts and yet that faith may be there within and, if so, it will keep even the doubt-racked mind in the way so that it goes on in spite of itself towards its destined goal. Faith is a spiritual certitude of the spiritual, the divine, the soul"s ideal, something that clings to that even when it is not fulfilled in life, even when the immediate facts or the persistent circumstances seem to deny it.” Letters on Yoga
fate ::: 1. That which is inevitably predetermined or preordained; destiny. 2. Something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot. **fate"s, fates, fated, fate-bound, fate-driven, fate-hedged, fate-led, fate-turned, world-fate.
fell ::: of an inhumanly cruel nature; fierce; destructive. (All other references to the word are as the past tense of fall.)
fig. Hearts filled with despair; disillusionment; devastating sorrow, especially from disappointment or tragedy in love.
fight ::: n. 1. Fig. A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons. fights. v. 2. To contend with physically or in battle; attempt to defend oneself against or to subdue, defeat, or destroy an adversary. fighting, fought.
figured ::: decorated or patterned with a design.
finished ::: 1. Ended or brought to an end. 2. Completed. 3. (of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state. half-finished.
flameless ::: destitute of flame; without flame.
forborne ::: abstained or refrained from (some action or procedure); ceased, desisted from.
"For by an absolute self-giving all egoistic desire disappears from the heart and there is a perfect union between the Divine and the individual soul through an inner renunciation of its separate living.” Essays on the Gita
force ::: n. 1. Strength; energy; power; intensity. 2. Fig. An agency, influence, or source of power likened to a physical force. Force, force"s, forces, Force-compelled, Conscious-Force, earth-force, God-Force, lion-forces, Mother-Force, Nature-force, Nature-Force, serpent-force, soul-force, Soul-Forces, world-force, World-Force, world-forces. *v. 3. To compel or cause (a person, group, etc.) to do something through effort, superior strength, etc.; coerce. 4. To propel or drive despite resistance. 5. To break open (a gate, door, etc.) *forces, forced, forcing.
::: "For God the Time-Spirit does not destroy for the sake of destruction, but to make the ways clear in the cyclic process for a greater rule and a progressing manifestation, . . . .” *Essays on the Gita
::: "For in reality, no man works, but Nature works through him for the self-expression of a Power within that proceeds from the Infinite. To know that and live in the presence and in the being of the Master of Nature, free from desire and the illusion of personal impulsion, is the one thing needful. That and not the bodily cessation of action is the true release; for the bondage of works at once ceases. A man might sit still and motionless for ever and yet be as much bound to the Ignorance as the animal or the insect. But if he can make this greater consciousness dynamic within him, then all the work of all the worlds could pass through him and yet he would remain at rest, absolute in calm and peace, free from all bondage.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
"For it is only the few who can make the past Teacher and his teaching, the past Incarnation and his example and influence a living force in their lives. For this need also the Hindu discipline provides in the relation of the Guru and the disciple. The Guru may sometimes be the Incarnation or World-Teacher; but it is sufficient that he should represent to the disciple the divine wisdom, convey to him something of the divine ideal or make him feel the realised relation of the human soul with the Eternal.” The Synthesis of Yoga*
" For man is precisely that term and symbol of a higher Existence descended into the material world in which it is possible for the lower to transfigure itself and put on the nature of the higher and the higher to reveal itself in the forms of the lower.” The Synthesis of Yoga
formats ::: plans, styles or types of arrangement; modes of procedure; organization.
forsaken ::: completely deserted or helpless; abandoned.
"For the main business of the heart, its true function is love. It is our destined instrument of complete union and oneness; for to see oneness in the world by the understanding is not enough unless we also feel it with the heart and in the psychic being, and this means a delight in the One and in all existences in the world in him, a love of God and all beings. The heart"s faith and will in good are founded on a perception of the one Divine immanent in all things and leading the world.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
"For what do we mean by Man? An uncreated and indestructible soul that has housed itself in a mind and body made of its own elements.” The Supramental Manifestation
foundling ::: a deserted or abandoned child of unknown parentage.
fretted ::: ornamented with elaborate patterns or angular designs.
frustrate ::: prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart. frustrated.
fulfil ::: 1. To fill or meet a want or need. 2. To develop the full potential of. 3. To bring about the completion or achievement of (a desire, prophecy, promise, etc.). 4. To carry out or execute (a request, etc.). fulfils, fulfilled, fulfilling, all-fulfilling, self-fulfilling.
fury ::: one of the avenging deities, dread goddesses with snakes twined in their hair, sent from Tartarus to avenge wrong and punish crime: in later accounts, three in number (Tisiphone, Megaera, Alecto). Hence, an avenging or tormenting infernal spirit. Fury"s.
gain ::: n. 1. Something won, acquired, earned, etc.; profit; advantage. gains. v. 2. To acquire (something desirable); obtain. 3. To obtain through effort or merit; achieve. gained.
gaunt ::: bleak, desolate, or grim, as places or things.
genealogy ::: a record or account of the ancestry and descent of a person, family, group, etc.
ghauts ::: a wide set of steps descending to a river.
glade ::: an open space in a forest. glades.
glide ::: to move smoothly and continuously along, as if without effort or resistance. glides, glided, gliding.
gloom ::: total or partial darkness; dimness often used to describe depression or melancholy. gloom"s, glooms, gloomy.
glow ::: n. 1. A light emitted by or as if by a substance heated to luminosity; incandescence. 2. Brilliance or warmth of colour. 3. Intensity of emotion; ardour. joy-glow, petal-glow. v. 4. To shine intensely, as if from great heat. 5. To show a strong bright colour. glows, glowed, glowing.
goal ::: 1. The result or achievement towards which effort is directed; aim; end. 2. The destination of a (more or less laborious) journey. goals.
goddess ::: a female god or deity. Goddess, goddess", goddesses, Goddesses, Earth-Goddess, wind-goddess.
good ::: Sri Aurobindo: "Below [the ethical] hides that secret of good in all things which the human being approaches and tries to deliver partially through ethical instinct and ethical idea; above is hidden the eternal Good which exceeds our partial and fragmentary ethical conceptions.” *Social and Political Thought
grades ::: stages or degrees in a process.
graded ::: arranged in a sequence of grades or ranks.
greed ::: an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth.
greedy ::: excessively desirous of acquiring or possessing, especially wishing to possess more than what one needs.
groping ::: showing or reflecting a desire to understand, especially something that proves puzzling.
ground ::: 1. Base; foundation. 2. Earth or soil. 3. Any material surface, lit. and fig. 4. Background. 5. An area of land designated for a particular purpose, lit. and fig. **6. The foundation for an argument, a belief, or an action; a basis. soul-ground.**
guarantor ::: one who provides a warrant or guarantee to another.
guidance ::: something which guides or leads, esp. through an unfamiliar area. Guidance.
guide ::: n. 1. One who goes with or before for the purpose of leading the way: said of persons, of God, Providence, and of impersonal agents, such as stars, light, etc. 2. One who shows the way by leading, directing, or advising. Also fig. 3. One who serves as a model for others, as in a course of conduct. Guide, guides. v. 4. To assist one to travel through, or reach a destination in, an unfamiliar area, as by accompanying or giving directions. 5. To direct the course of; steer. 6.* Fig. To lead the way for (a person). guides, guided, guiding. **adj. *guideless.**
guiding or directing homeward or to a destination.
had a strong, often restless desire.
handle ::: n. 1. A part that is designed to be held or operated with the hand. v. 2. To deal with or have responsibility for; conduct.
happens ::: 1. Comes to pass. 2. Comes to pass by chance; occurs without apparent reason or design. happened.
harsh ::: 1. Grim or unpleasantly severe; stern; cruel; austere. 2. Physically uncomfortable; desolate; stark. 3. Unpleasant to the taste or sense of smell; bitter; acrid.
heart ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The heart in Vedic psychology is not restricted to the seat of the emotions; it includes all that large tract of spontaneous mentality, nearest to the subconscient in us, out of which rise the sensations, emotions, instincts, impulses and all those intuitions and inspirations that travel through these agencies before they arrive at form in the intelligence.” *The Secret of the Veda
heavy ::: 1. Having relatively great weight. lit. and fig. 2. Weighed down; burdened. 3. Marked by or exhibiting weariness. 4. Without vivacity or interest; ponderous; dull. 5. Not easily borne; oppressive; burdensome; harsh. 6. Hard to cope with; trying; difficult. 7. Weighed down with sorrow or grief; sorrowful, sad, grieved, despondent. 8. Deep, profound, intense. 9. Of great import or seriousness; grave. 10. Sober, serious, sombre or tragic. 11. With great force, intensity, turbulence, etc. 12. Having considerable thickness or substance. 13. Lacking vitality; deficient in vivacity or grace. 14. Emotionally weighed down; despondent. heavier.
hieroglyph ::: designating or pertaining to a pictographic script, particularly that of the ancient Egyptians, in which many of the symbols are conventionalized, recognizable pictures of the things represented. hieroglyphs.
::: "Humility before the Divine is also a sine qua non of the spiritual life, and spiritual pride, arrogance, or vanity and self-assurance press always downward. But confidence in the Divine and a faith in one"s spiritual destiny (i.e. since my heart and soul seek for the Divine, I cannot fail one day to reach Him) are much needed in view of the difficulties of the Path.” Letters on Yoga
**"I certainly won"t have ‘attracted" [in place of ‘allured"] — there is an enormous difference between the force of the two words and merely ‘attracted by the Ecstasy" would take away all my ecstasy in the line — nothing so tepid can be admitted. Neither do I want ‘thrill" [in place of ‘joy"] which gives a false colour — precisely it would mean that the ecstasy was already touching him with its intensity which is far from my intention.Your statement that ‘joy" is just another word for ‘ecstasy" is surprising. ‘Comfort", ‘pleasure", ‘joy", ‘bliss", ‘rapture", ‘ecstasy" would then be all equal and exactly synonymous terms and all distinction of shades and colours of words would disappear from literature. As well say that ‘flashlight" is just another word for ‘lightning" — or that glow, gleam, glitter, sheen, blaze are all equivalents which can be employed indifferently in the same place. One can feel allured to the supreme omniscient Ecstasy and feel a nameless joy touching one without that Joy becoming itself the supreme Ecstasy. I see no loss of expressiveness by the joy coming in as a vague nameless hint of the immeasurable superior Ecstasy.” Letters on Savitri*
"If discipline of all the members of our being by purification and concentration may be described as the right arm of the body of Yoga, renunciation is its left arm. By discipline or positive practice we confirm in ourselves the truth of things, truth of being, truth of knowledge, truth of love, truth of works and replace with these the falsehoods that have overgrown and perverted our nature; by renunciation we seize upon the falsehoods, pluck up their roots and cast them out of our way so that they shall no longer hamper by their persistence, their resistance or their recurrence the happy and harmonious growth of our divine living.” The Synthesis of Yoga*
::: "If there is an evolution in material Nature and if it is an evolution of being with consciousness and life as its two key-terms and powers, this fullness of being, fullness of consciousness, fullness of life must be the goal of development towards which we are tending and which will manifest at an early or later stage of our destiny. The Self, the Spirit, the Reality that is disclosing itself out of the first inconscience of life and matter, would evolve its complete truth of being and consciousness in that life and matter. It would return to itself, — or, if its end as an individual is to return into its Absolute, it could make that return also, — not through a frustration of life but through a spiritual completeness of itself in life. Our evolution in the Ignorance with its chequered joy and pain of self-discovery and world-discovery, its half-fulfilments, its constant finding and missing, is only our first state. It must lead inevitably towards an evolution in the Knowledge, a self-finding and self-unfolding of the Spirit, a self-revelation of the Divinity in things in that true power of itself in Nature which is to us still a Supernature.” The Life Divine
"If you go deep enough, into a sufficiently complete silence from all outer things, you will find within you that flame about which I often speak, and in this flame you will see your destiny.} You will see the aspiration of centuries which has been concentrated gradually, to lead you through countless births to the great day of realisation — that preparation which has been made through thousands of years, and is reaching its culmination.” Questions and Answers MCW Vol. 6*.
illumined mind ::: Sri Aurobindo: "This greater Force is that of the Illumined Mind, a Mind no longer of higher Thought, but of spiritual light. Here the clarity of the spiritual intelligence, its tranquil daylight, gives place or subordinates itself to an intense lustre, a splendour and illumination of the Spirit: a play of lightnings of spiritual truth and power breaks from above into the consciousness and adds to the calm and wide enlightenment and the vast descent of peace which characterise or accompany the action of the larger conceptual-spiritual principle, a fiery ardour of realisation and a rapturous ecstasy of knowledge.” *The Life Divine
"The Illumined Mind does not work primarily by thought, but by vision; . . . .” The Life Divine
"As the Higher Mind brings a greater consciousness into the being through the spiritual idea and its power of truth, so the Illumined Mind brings in a still greater consciousness through a Truth-sight and Truth-light and its seeing and seizing power.” The Life Divine*
"I may say that the opening upwards, the ascent into the Light and the subsequent descent into the ordinary consciousness and normal human life is very common as the first decisive experience in the practice of yoga and may very well happen even without the practice of yoga in those who are destined for the spiritual change, especially if there is a dissatisfaction somewhere with the ordinary life and a seeking for something more, greater or better.” Letters on Yoga*
immensitudes
"Immortality is one of the possible results of supramentalisation, but it is not an obligatory result and it does not mean that there will be an eternal or indefinite prolongation of life as it is. That is what many think it will be, that they will remain what they are with all their human desires and the only difference will be that they will satisfy them endlessly; but such an immortality would not be worth having and it would not be long before people are tired of it. To live in the Divine and have the divine Consciousness is itself immortality and to be able to divinise the body also and make it a fit instrument for divine works and divine life would be its material expression only.” *Letters on Yoga
impatient ::: 1. Unable to endure irritation or opposition; intolerant; not patient. 2. Eagerly desirous; restless in desire or expectation. 3. Lacking patience; easily irritated at delay, opposition.
incertitude ::: absence of confidence; doubt; uncertainty. incertitudes. ::: Sri Aurobindo: [referring to the line] "The incertitude of man"s proud confident thought.” ::: "‘Uncertainty" would mean that the thought was confident but uncertain of itself, which would be a contradiction. ‘Incertitude" means that its truth is uncertain in spite of its proud confidence in itself.” Letters on Savitri — 1936
indefinable ::: impossible to define, describe, or analyze; not readily identified, analysed, or determined.
indigence ::: poverty; need; destitution.
ineffable ::: incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable. **Ineffable, Ineffable"s.
inexpressible ::: not expressible; incapable of being uttered or described in words. Inexpressible, inexpressibly.
infinitude ::: 1. The state or quality of being infinite; boundless. 2. An immeasurably large quantity, number, or extent. infinitudes, Infinitude, Infinitudes.
inhibitions ::: conscious or unconscious restraint of a behavioural process, a desire, or an impulse.
"In peace there is besides the sense of stillness a harmony that gives a feeling of liberation and full satisfaction.” Letters on Yoga ::: *peaceful.
inspires ::: 1. Produces, kindles, arouses or awakens a feeling, thought, etc. 2. Guides or arouse by divine influence or inspiration. inspired, inspiring.* *n. inspirer.**
insufficient to produce a desired effect; feeble; powerless, impotent.
intended ::: purposed; designed; meant; intentional. high-intended.
intention ::: design; purpose, aim.
intent ::: n. 1. Something that is intended; purpose; design. v. 2. To be firmly or steadfastly fixed or directed, as the eyes or mind. 3. To be determined or resolved; having the mind or will fixed on some goal.
intercept ::: 1. To take, seize, or halt (someone or something on the way from one place to another); cut off from an intended destination. 2. To stop or check (passage, travel, etc.). 3. To stop or interrupt the course, progress, or transmission of. intercepts, intercepting, interceptor.
". . . in the Avatar there is the special manifestation, the divine birth from above, the eternal and universal Godhead descended into a form of individual humanity, âtmânam srjâmi, and conscious not only behind the veil but in the outward nature.” Essays on the Gita
intuition ::: direct perception of truth, fact, etc., independent of any reasoning process. intuition"s, intuitions, half-intuition.
Sri Aurobindo: "Intuition is a power of consciousness nearer and more intimate to the original knowledge by identity; for it is always something that leaps out direct from a concealed identity. It is when the consciousness of the subject meets with the consciousness in the object, penetrates it and sees, feels or vibrates with the truth of what it contacts, that the intuition leaps out like a spark or lightning-flash from the shock of the meeting; or when the consciousness, even without any such meeting, looks into itself and feels directly and intimately the truth or the truths that are there or so contacts the hidden forces behind appearances, then also there is the outbreak of an intuitive light; or, again, when the consciousness meets the Supreme Reality or the spiritual reality of things and beings and has a contactual union with it, then the spark, the flash or the blaze of intimate truth-perception is lit in its depths. This close perception is more than sight, more than conception: it is the result of a penetrating and revealing touch which carries in it sight and conception as part of itself or as its natural consequence. A concealed or slumbering identity, not yet recovering itself, still remembers or conveys by the intuition its own contents and the intimacy of its self-feeling and self-vision of things, its light of truth, its overwhelming and automatic certitude.” *The Life Divine
"Intuition is always an edge or ray or outleap of a superior light; it is in us a projecting blade, edge or point of a far-off supermind light entering into and modified by some intermediate truth-mind substance above us and, so modified, again entering into and very much blinded by our ordinary or ignorant mind-substance; but on that higher level to which it is native its light is unmixed and therefore entirely and purely veridical, and its rays are not separated but connected or massed together in a play of waves of what might almost be called in the Sanskrit poetic figure a sea or mass of ``stable lightnings"". When this original or native Intuition begins to descend into us in answer to an ascension of our consciousness to its level or as a result of our finding of a clear way of communication with it, it may continue to come as a play of lightning-flashes, isolated or in constant action; but at this stage the judgment of reason becomes quite inapplicable, it can only act as an observer or registrar understanding or recording the more luminous intimations, judgments and discriminations of the higher power. To complete or verify an isolated intuition or discriminate its nature, its application, its limitations, the receiving consciousness must rely on another completing intuition or be able to call down a massed intuition capable of putting all in place. For once the process of the change has begun, a complete transmutation of the stuff and activities of the mind into the substance, form and power of Intuition is imperative; until then, so long as the process of consciousness depends upon the lower intelligence serving or helping out or using the intuition, the result can only be a survival of the mixed Knowledge-Ignorance uplifted or relieved by a higher light and force acting in its parts of Knowledge.” *The Life Divine
"I use the word ‘intuition" for want of a better. In truth, it is a makeshift and inadequate to the connotation demanded of it. The same has to be said of the word ‘consciousness" and many others which our poverty compels us to extend illegitimately in their significance.” *The Life Divine - Sri Aurobindo"s footnote.
"For intuition is an edge of light thrust out by the secret Supermind. . . .” The Life Divine
". . . intuition is born of a direct awareness while intellect is an indirect action of a knowledge which constructs itself with difficulty out of the unknown from signs and indications and gathered data.” The Life Divine
"Intuition is above illumined Mind which is simply higher Mind raised to a great luminosity and more open to modified forms of intuition and inspiration.” Letters on Yoga
"Intuition sees the truth of things by a direct inner contact, not like the ordinary mental intelligence by seeking and reaching out for indirect contacts through the senses etc. But the limitation of the Intuition as compared with the supermind is that it sees things by flashes, point by point, not as a whole. Also in coming into the mind it gets mixed with the mental movement and forms a kind of intuitive mind activity which is not the pure truth, but something in between the higher Truth and the mental seeking. It can lead the consciousness through a sort of transitional stage and that is practically its function.” Letters on Yoga
intuitive knowledge ::: Sri Aurobindo: " For the highest intuitive Knowledge sees things in the whole, in the large and details only as sides of the indivisible whole; its tendency is towards immediate synthesis and the unity of knowledge.” *The Life Divine
"The intuitive knowledge on the contrary, however limited it may be in its field or application, is within that scope sure with an immediate, a durable and especially a self-existent certitude.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"All intuitive knowledge comes more or less directly from the light of the self-aware spirit entering into the mind, the spirit concealed behind mind and conscious of all in itself and in all its selves, omniscient and capable of illumining the ignorant or the self-forgetful mind whether by rare or constant flashes or by a steady instreaming light, out of its omniscience.” The Synthesis of Yoga*
invade ::: 1. To enter forcefully as an enemy; go into with hostile intent. 2. To enter as if to take possession. 3. To permeate. 4. To penetrate; spread into or over. invades, invaded, invading.
invader ::: one who intrudes or enters in a hostile manner or with hostile intent. invaders.
iridescent ::: displaying a play of lustrous colors like those of the rainbow.
iris-coloured ::: a rainbow-like or iridescent appearance; a circle or halo of prismatic colours; a combination or alternation of brilliant colours.
irised ::: having colours like those of the rainbow; iridescent.
isthmus ::: a narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, connecting two larger bodies of land.
"It is when the true soul (psyche) comes forward and begins first to influence and then govern the actions of the instrumental nature that man begins to overcome vital desire and grow towards a divine nature.” *Letters on Yoga
just ::: 1. Guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness. 2. Done or made according to principle; equitable; proper. 3. Based on right; rightful; lawful. 4. In keeping with truth or fact; true; correct. 5. Given or awarded rightly; deserved, as a sentence, punishment, or reward. 6. In accordance with standards or requirements; proper or right. 7. Only or merely.
kali ::: hinduism. One of the manifestations and titles of the wife of Shiva and mother goddess Devi, especially in her role as a goddess of death and destruction. **Kali"s.
::: "Kali, the Mother of all and destroyer of all, is the Shakti that works in secret in the heart of humanity. . . .” *Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
keen ::: 1. Intense, as feeling or desire. 2. Sharp; vivid; strong. 3. Having a fine, sharp cutting edge or point. 4. Intense; piercing. keen-edged, keen-visioned.
lakshmi ::: ". . . in Hindu mythology, the goddess of wealth and good fortune, consort of Vishnu. According to a legend she sprang from the froth of the Ocean when it was churned, in full beauty, with a lotus in her hand. (Dow.)” *Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo"s Works
latitudes ::: distances on the globe, north or south of the equator, measured in degrees.
::: "Law is necessary for order and stability, but it becomes a conservative and hampering force unless it provides itself with an effective machinery for changing the laws as soon as circumstances and new needs make that desirable.” *The Human Cycle
lay waste ::: to devastate; destroy; ruin. laid waste.
leader ::: 1. One that leads or guides. 2. One who or that which goes before or in advance of; proceeds first. leaders.
lead ::: v. 1. To go in advance; act as a guide; show the way. 2. To guide in direction, course, action, opinion, etc. 3. Of a way, road, etc.: To serve as a passage for, conduct (a person) to or into a place; hence, to have a specified goal or direction. 4. To pass or go through; live. 5. To result in; tend toward (often followed by to). 6. To indicate, as a clue, guide or indication of a route way, course. leads, leading, leadst.* n. 7. Anything or anyone who guides or directs by leading; going in front. ::: (Note: See also *sounding leads.)
life-self ::: Sri Aurobindo: ". . . our self-view is vitiated by the constant impact and intrusion of our outer life-self, our vital being, which seeks always to make the thinking mind its tool and servant: for our vital being is not concerned with self-knowledge but with self-affirmation, desire, ego.” *The Life Divine
longed ::: desired strongly or persistently. longs, longed-for.
longing ::: strong, persistent desire or craving, esp. for something unattainable or distant. longing"s, longings, longings".
longitudes ::: distances, measured in degrees on the map, of places that are east or west of a standard north-south line, usually that which passes through Greenwich.
lot ::: circumstances or condition in life; destiny; fortune.
::: "Love is in its nature the desire to give oneself to others and to receive others in exchange; it is a commerce between being and being.” *The Life Divine
lowly ::: 1. Humble in station, condition, or nature; modest. 2. Humble in attitude, behaviour, or spirit; meek.
lust ::: 1. A passionate or overmastering desire or craving. 2. Longing desire; eagerness to possess. 3. Intense sexual desire or appetite; libidinous desire, degrading animal passion. 4. Desires. lust"s, lusts, lusted, lusting.
magic ::: n. 1. The art of producing a desired effect or result through the use of incantation or various other techniques that presumably assure human control of supernatural agencies or the forces of nature. 2. Any extraordinary or mystical influence, charm, power, etc. magic"s. adj. 3. Of, pertaining to, or due to magic. magical, magically.
magnitudes ::: 1. Greatness of size, extent or amount. 2. Great importance or consequence.
malady ::: 1. Any disorder or disease of the body, esp. one that is chronic or deep-seated. 2. Any unwholesome, unhealthy, morbid or desperate condition. maladies.
Man alive, your proposed emendations are an admirable exposition of the art of bringing a line down the steps till my poor "slow miraculous” above-mind line meant to give or begin the concrete portrayal of an act of some hidden Godhead finally becomes a mere metaphor thrown out from its more facile mint by a brilliantly imaginative poetic intelligence. First of all, you shift my "dimly” out of the way and transfer it to something to which it does not inwardly belongs make it an epithet of the gesture or an adverb qualifying its epithet instead of something that qualifies the atmosphere in which the act of the Godhead takes place. That is a preliminary havoc which destroys what is very important to the action, its atmosphere. I never intended the gesture to be dim, it is a luminous gesture, but forcing its way through the black quietude it comes dimly. Then again the bald phrase "a gesture came” without anything to psychicise it becomes simply something that "happened”, "came” being a poetic equivalent for "happened”, instead of the expression of the slow coming of the gesture. The words "slow” and "dimly” assure this sense of motion and this concreteness to the word"s sense here. Remove one or both whether entirely or elsewhere and you ruin the vision and change altogether its character. That is at least what happens wholly in your penultimate version and as for the last its "came” gets another meaning and one feels that somebody very slowly decided to let out the gesture from himself and it was quite a miracle that it came out at all! "Dimly miraculous” means what precisely or what "miraculously dim” — it was miraculous that it managed to be so dim or there was something vaguely miraculous about it after all? No doubt they try to mean something else — but these interpretations come in their way and trip them over. The only thing that can stand is the first version which is no doubt fine poetry, but the trouble is that it does not give the effect I wanted to give, the effect which is necessary for the dawn"s inner significance. Moreover, what becomes of the slow lingering rhythm of my line which is absolutely indispensable? Letters on Savitri
mane ::: the long hair along the top and sides of the neck of certain mammals, such as the horse and the male lion. manes, maned, dense-maned, lion-maned.
mantra ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The mantra as I have tried to describe it in The Future Poetry is a word of power and light that comes from the Overmind inspiration or from some very high plane of Intuition. Its characteristics are a language that conveys infinitely more than the mere surface sense of the words seems to indicate, a rhythm that means even more than the language and is born out of the Infinite and disappears into it, and the power to convey not merely the mental, vital or physical contents or indications or values of the thing uttered, but its significance and figure in some fundamental and original consciousness which is behind all these and greater.” *The Future Poetry
margin ::: n. 1. A border or edge. 2. The blank space bordering the written or printed area on a page. margins. v. 3. Provides with a margin.
mark ::: n. **1. A sign, symbol, action, event or other indication that distinguishes something. 2. A visible impression on something. 3. A distinctive trait or characteristic. 4. A fixed or recognized standard. caste-mark, hoof-mark, question-mark. v. 5. To make a visible trace or impression on, as with a spot, line, or dent. Also fig. 6. To record; to indicate in writing, note. 7. Fig. To designate as if by placing a mark upon; to indicate. 8. To take notice. marks, marked, marking.**
mask ::: n. 1. A covering for all or part of the face, worn to conceal one"s identity. 2. Anything that disguises, conceals, or hides from view. Mask, masks. v. 3. To disguise or conceal; hide, veil, screen, cloak. **masked, masking.
material world ::: Sri Aurobindo: "Our material world is the result of all the others, for the other principles have all descended into Matter to create the physical universe, and every particle of what we call Matter contains all of them implicit in itself; their secret action, as we have seen, is involved in every moment of its existence and every movement of its activity. And as Matter is the last word of the descent, so it is also the first word of the ascent; as the powers of all these planes, worlds, grades, degrees are involved in the material existence, so are they all capable of evolution out of it. It is for this reason that material being does not begin and end with gases and chemical compounds and physical forces and movements, with nebulae and suns and earths, but evolves life, evolves mind, must evolve eventually Supermind and the higher degrees of the spiritual existence.” The Life Divine
mind, Ideal Mind ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The link between the spiritual and the lower planes of the being is that which is called in the old Vedantic phraseology the vijñâna and which we may describe in our modern turn of language as the Truth-plane or the ideal mind or supermind. There the One and the Many meet and our being is freely open to the revealing light of the divine Truth and the inspiration of the divine Will and Knowledge.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
mind, illumined ::: Sri Aurobindo: "This greater Force is that of the Illumined Mind, a Mind no longer of higher Thought, but of spiritual light. Here the clarity of the spiritual intelligence, its tranquil daylight, gives place or subordinates itself to an intense lustre, a splendour and illumination of the Spirit: a play of lightnings of spiritual truth and power breaks from above into the consciousness and adds to the calm and wide enlightenment and the vast descent of peace which characterise or accompany the action of the larger conceptual-spiritual principle, a fiery ardour of realisation and a rapturous ecstasy of knowledge.” *The Life Divine
mind ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The ‘Mind" in the ordinary use of the word covers indiscriminately the whole consciousness, for man is a mental being and mentalises everything; but in the language of this yoga the words ‘mind" and ‘mental" are used to connote specially the part of the nature which has to do with cognition and intelligence, with ideas, with mental or thought perceptions, the reactions of thought to things, with the truly mental movements and formations, mental vision and will, etc., that are part of his intelligence.” *Letters on Yoga
"Mind in its essence is a consciousness which measures, limits, cuts out forms of things from the indivisible whole and contains them as if each were a separate integer.” The Life Divine
"Mind is an instrument of analysis and synthesis, but not of essential knowledge. Its function is to cut out something vaguely from the unknown Thing in itself and call this measurement or delimitation of it the whole, and again to analyse the whole into its parts which it regards as separate mental objects.” The Life Divine
"The mind proper is divided into three parts — thinking Mind, dynamic Mind, externalising Mind — the former concerned with ideas and knowledge in their own right, the second with the putting out of mental forces for realisation of the idea, the third with the expression of them in life (not only by speech, but by any form it can give).” Letters on Yoga
"The difference between the ordinary mind and the intuitive is that the former, seeking in the darkness or at most by its own unsteady torchlight, first, sees things only as they are presented in that light and, secondly, where it does not know, constructs by imagination, by uncertain inference, by others of its aids and makeshifts things which it readily takes for truth, shadow projections, cloud edifices, unreal prolongations, deceptive anticipations, possibilities and probabilities which do duty for certitudes. The intuitive mind constructs nothing in this artificial fashion, but makes itself a receiver of the light and allows the truth to manifest in it and organise its own constructions.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"He [man] has in him not a single mentality, but a double and a triple, the mind material and nervous, the pure intellectual mind which liberates itself from the illusions of the body and the senses, and a divine mind above intellect which in its turn liberates itself from the imperfect modes of the logically discriminative and imaginative reason.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"Our mind is an observer of actuals, an inventor or discoverer of possibilities, but not a seer of the occult imperatives that necessitate the movements and forms of a creation. . . .” *The Life Divine
"The human mind is an instrument not of truth but of ignorance and error.” Letters on Yoga
"For Mind as we know it is a power of the Ignorance seeking for Truth, groping with difficulty to find it, reaching only mental constructions and representations of it in word and idea, in mind formations, sense formations, — as if bright or shadowy photographs or films of a distant Reality were all that it could achieve.” The Life Divine
The Mother: "The true role of the mind is the formation and organization of action. The mind has a formative and organizing power, and it is that which puts the different elements of inspiration in order for action, for organizing action. And if it would only confine itself to that role, receiving inspirations — whether from above or from the mystic centre of the soul — and simply formulating the plan of action — in broad outline or in minute detail, for the smallest things of life or the great terrestrial organizations — it would amply fulfil its function. It is not an instrument of knowledge. But is can use knowledge for action, to organize action. It is an instrument of organization and formation, very powerful and very capable when it is well developed.” Questions and Answers 1956, MCW Vol. 8.*
miracle-monger ::: a compound word denoting a person promoting something undesirable or discreditable, in this instance, miracles.
mischiefs ::: damage, destruction, or injury caused by specific persons or things.
miserable ::: of wretched quality or character; contemptible, despicable.
modesty ::: moderation; the quality or characteristic of being unassuming; unobtrusive, retiring; diffident.
mode ::: a manner of acting or doing; method; way. modes.
moor ::: a tract of open, peaty wasteland, often overgrown with heath, common in high latitudes and altitudes where drainage is poor; heath.
mosaic ::: 1. A picture or decorative design made by setting small colored pieces, as of stone or tile, into a surface. 2. Something resembling such a picture or decoration in composition, esp. in being made up of diverse elements.
mother ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The One whom we adore as the Mother is the divine Conscious Force that dominates all existence, one and yet so many-sided that to follow her movement is impossible even for the quickest mind and for the freest and most vast intelligence. The Mother is the consciousness and force of the Supreme and far above all she creates.” The Mother ::: "The one original transcendent Shakti, the Mother stands above all the worlds and bears in her eternal consciousness the Supreme Divine.
"That which we call Nature or Prakriti is only her [the Mother"s] most outward executive aspect; she marshals and arranges the harmony of her forces and processes, impels the operations of Nature and moves among them secret or manifest in all that can be seen or experienced or put into motion of life.” *The Mother
: "The Mother comes in order to bring down the Supramental and it is the descent which makes her full manifestation here possible.” *Letters on the Mother
"When one does sadhana, the inner consciousness begins to open and one is able to go inside and have all kinds of experiences there. As the sadhana progresses, one begins to live more and more in this inner being and the outer becomes more and more superficial. At first the inner consciousness seems to be the dream and the outer the waking reality. Afterwards the inner consciousness becomes the reality and the outer is felt by many as a dream or delusion, or else as something superficial and external. The inner consciousness begins to be a place of deep peace, light, happiness, love, closeness to the Divine or the presence of the Divine, the Mother.” Letters on Yoga ::: **mighty Mother, World-Mother, World-Mother"s.**
motive ::: n. 1. An emotion, desire, physiological need, or similar impulse that acts as an incitement to action. motives. adj. **2. Of or constituting an incitement to action. 3. In art, literature and music: A motif (a recurring subject, theme, idea). motived, motiveless. v. 4. To incite; motivate. motives.**
mottled ::: spotted or blotched with different shades or colors.
multitude ::: 1. The condition or quality of being numerous. 2. A very great number. 3. The masses; the populace. multitudes.
muse ::: n. 1. A state of abstraction or contemplation; reverie. 2. The goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like. musings, musers. *v. 3. To be absorbed in one"s thoughts; engage in meditation. 4. To consider or say thoughtfully. mused, musing. adj. *mused. 5. Perplexed, bewildered, bemused. musing. 6. Being absorbed in thoughts; reflecting deeply; contemplating; engaged in meditation. muse-lipped.
mystery ::: 1. A spiritual truth that is incomprehensible to reason and knowable only through divine revelation. 2. Something that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes the understanding; an enigma. 3. A mysterious character or quality. 4. The skills, lore, practices and secret rites that are peculiar to a particular activity or group and are regarded as the special province of initiates. Mystery, mystery"s, Mystery"s, mysteries, mystery-altar"s. (Sri Aurobindo also employs the word as an adj.)
n. **1. A manner of walking or running. 2. Fig. The relative speed of progress or change. 3. A rate of activity, progress, growth, performance; tempo. 4. Fig. The rate of speed at which an activity or movement proceeds. v. 5. To walk with slow regular strides. 6. To walk with regular slow or fast paces or steps. paces, paced, pacing.**
n. 1. The discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by a prolonged lack of food. v. 2.* Fig. To have a strong desire or craving. Hunger, *hunger"s, hungers hungered, hungering.
n. 1. The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. 2. Something that is hoped for or desired. 3. A person or thing that gives cause for hope. hopes, hoping. v. 4. To feel that something desired may happen; to have trust or confidence (in). hopes, hoped, hoping, hopest.
nameless ::: 1. Defying description; inexpressible. 2. Having or bearing no name. Nameless, namelessness, Namelessness.
name ::: Sri Aurobindo: "Name in its deeper sense is not the word by which we describe the object, but the total of power, quality, character of the reality which a form of things embodies and which we try to sum up by a designating sound, a knowable name, Nomen. Nomen in this sense, we might say, is Numen; the secret Names of the Gods are their power, quality, character of being caught up by the consciousness and made conceivable. The Infinite is nameless, but in that namelessness all possible names, Numens of the gods, the names and forms of all realities, are already envisaged and prefigured, because they are there latent and inherent in the All-Existence.” The Life Divine
nirvana ::: Sri Aurobindo: "[Nirvana means] extinction, not necessarily of all being, but of being as we know it; extinction of ego, desire and egoistic action and mentality.” *The Life Divine
No-man"s-land. ::: Sri Aurobindo: "As to the two lines with ‘no man"s land" there can be no capital in the first line because there it is a description while the capital is needed in the other line, because the phrase has acquired there the force of a name or appellation. I am not sure about the hyphen; it could be put but the no hyphen might be better as it suggests that no one in particular has as yet got possession.” Letters on Savitri.
::: "Nothing can be destroyed for all is He who is for ever.” Essays Divine and Human*
"Nothing can be more remarkable and suggestive than the extent to which modern Science confirms in the domain of Matter the conceptions and even the very formulae of language which were arrived at, by a very different method, in the Vedanta, — the original Vedanta, not of the schools of metaphysical philosophy, but of the Upanishads. And these, on the other hand, often reveal their full significance, their richer contents only when they are viewed in the new light shed by the discoveries of modern Science, — for instance, that Vedantic expression which describes things in the Cosmos as one seed arranged by the universal Energy in multitudinous forms.(1) Significant, especially, is the drive of Science towards a Monism which is consistent with multiplicity, towards the Vedic idea of the one essence with its many becomings.” The Life Divine
nympholepts ::: those who are in an emotional frenzy, esp. with desires that cannot be fulfilled.
obscene ::: offensive or outrageous to accepted standards of decency or modesty; repulsive.
ode ::: 1. A lyric poem of some length, usually of a serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal stanzaic structure. 2. A poem meant to be sung. odes.
o"errun ::: to spread or swarm over destructively. See **overthrow.**
offspring ::: the immediate descendant or descendants of a person, animal, etc.; progeny.
opalescent ::: exhibiting a milky iridescence like that of an opal.
orbit ::: 1. The curved path, usually elliptical, described by a planet, satellite, etc., around a celestial body, as the sun. 2. The usual course of one"s life or range of one"s activities. orbits.
outline ::: n. 1. A line marking the outer contours or boundaries of an object or figure. 2. A style of drawing in which objects are delineated in contours without shading. 3. A general description covering the main points of a subject outlines, world-outline. v. 4. To give the main features or various aspects of; summarize. Also fig. outlined.
"Over each grade of our being a power of the Spirit presides; we have within us and discover when we go deep enough inwards a mind-self, a life-self, a physical self; there is a being of mind, a mental Purusha, expressing something of itself on our surface in the thoughts, perceptions, activities of our mind-nature, a being of life which expresses something of itself in the impulses, feelings, sensations, desires, external life-activities of our vital nature, a physical being, a being of the body which expresses something of itself in the instincts, habits, formulated activities of our physical nature. These beings or part selves of the self in us are powers of the Spirit and therefore not limited by their temporary expression, for what is thus formulated is only a fragment of its possibilities; but the expression creates a temporary mental, vital or physical personality which grows and develops even as the psychic being or soul-personality grows and develops within us.” The Life Divine
overmind ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The overmind is a sort of delegation from the supermind (this is a metaphor only) which supports the present evolutionary universe in which we live here in Matter. If supermind were to start here from the beginning as the direct creative Power, a world of the kind we see now would be impossible; it would have been full of the divine Light from the beginning, there would be no involution in the inconscience of Matter, consequently no gradual striving evolution of consciousness in Matter. A line is therefore drawn between the higher half of the universe of consciousness, parardha , and the lower half, aparardha. The higher half is constituted of Sat, Chit, Ananda, Mahas (the supramental) — the lower half of mind, life, Matter. This line is the intermediary overmind which, though luminous itself, keeps from us the full indivisible supramental Light, depends on it indeed, but in receiving it, divides, distributes, breaks it up into separated aspects, powers, multiplicities of all kinds, each of which it is possible by a further diminution of consciousness, such as we reach in Mind, to regard as the sole or the chief Truth and all the rest as subordinate or contradictory to it.” *Letters on Yoga
"The overmind is the highest of the planes below the supramental.” *Letters on Yoga
"In its nature and law the Overmind is a delegate of the Supermind Consciousness, its delegate to the Ignorance. Or we might speak of it as a protective double, a screen of dissimilar similarity through which Supermind can act indirectly on an Ignorance whose darkness could not bear or receive the direct impact of a supreme Light.” The Life Divine
"The Overmind is a principle of cosmic Truth and a vast and endless catholicity is its very spirit; its energy is an all-dynamism as well as a principle of separate dynamisms: it is a sort of inferior Supermind, — although it is concerned predominantly not with absolutes, but with what might be called the dynamic potentials or pragmatic truths of Reality, or with absolutes mainly for their power of generating pragmatic or creative values, although, too, its comprehension of things is more global than integral, since its totality is built up of global wholes or constituted by separate independent realities uniting or coalescing together, and although the essential unity is grasped by it and felt to be basic of things and pervasive in their manifestation, but no longer as in the Supermind their intimate and ever-present secret, their dominating continent, the overt constant builder of the harmonic whole of their activity and nature.” The Life Divine
"The overmind sees calmly, steadily, in great masses and large extensions of space and time and relation, globally; it creates and acts in the same way — it is the world of the great Gods, the divine Creators.” *Letters on Yoga
"The Overmind is essentially a spiritual power. Mind in it surpasses its ordinary self and rises and takes its stand on a spiritual foundation. It embraces beauty and sublimates it; it has an essential aesthesis which is not limited by rules and canons, it sees a universal and an eternal beauty while it takes up and transforms all that is limited and particular. It is besides concerned with things other than beauty or aesthetics. It is concerned especially with truth and knowledge or rather with a wisdom that exceeds what we call knowledge; its truth goes beyond truth of fact and truth of thought, even the higher thought which is the first spiritual range of the thinker. It has the truth of spiritual thought, spiritual feeling, spiritual sense and at its highest the truth that comes by the most intimate spiritual touch or by identity. Ultimately, truth and beauty come together and coincide, but in between there is a difference. Overmind in all its dealings puts truth first; it brings out the essential truth (and truths) in things and also its infinite possibilities; it brings out even the truth that lies behind falsehood and error; it brings out the truth of the Inconscient and the truth of the Superconscient and all that lies in between. When it speaks through poetry, this remains its first essential quality; a limited aesthetical artistic aim is not its purpose.” *Letters on Savitri
"In the overmind the Truth of supermind which is whole and harmonious enters into a separation into parts, many truths fronting each other and moved each to fulfil itself, to make a world of its own or else to prevail or take its share in worlds made of a combination of various separated Truths and Truth-forces.” Letters on Yoga
*Overmind"s.
overthrow ::: to bring about the downfall or destruction of, especially by force or concerted action.
paltry ::: utterly worthless; petty, insignificant, trifling; contemptible, despicable; insultingly small.
parable ::: 1. A short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, spiritual principle, or moral lesson. 2. A statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like, esp. concerning morality or ethics.
parentage ::: derivation or descent from parents or ancestors; birth, origin or lineage.
passion ::: n. 1. Suffering. 2. A powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger. 3. An abandoned display of emotion, especially of anger. 4. Strong sexual desire; lust. 5. Violent anger. 6. The sufferings of Jesus in the period following the Last Supper and including the Crucifixion, as related in the New Testament. passion"s, passions, world-passion. adj. **passioning. v. 7. To be affected by intense emotions such as love, joy, hatred, anger, etc. passions, passioned, passioning, passion-tranced. ::: **
"Patience is our first great necessary lesson, but not the dull slowness to move of the timid, the sceptical, the weary, the slothful, the unambitious or the weakling; a patience full of a calm and gathering strength which watches and prepares itself for the hour of swift great strokes, few but enough to change destiny.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
pattern ::: 1. A model or original used as an archetype. 2. A plan or diagram used as a guide in making something. 3. An artistic or decorative design. 4. A combination of qualities, acts, tendencies, etc., forming a consistent or characteristic arrangement; order or form discernible in things, actions, ideas, situations, etc. patterns, patterned, many-patterned.
paupers ::: reduces to the condition of poverty or destitution.
peacock ::: male peafowl; having a crested head and very large fanlike tail marked with iridescent eyes or spots.
pedestal ::: 1. An architectural support or base, as for a column or statue. 2. A support or foundation.
peril ::: 1. Exposure to the risk of harm or loss. 2. Something that causes or may cause injury, loss, or destruction. perils.
perish ::: 1. To die or be destroyed, especially in a violent or untimely manner. 2. To pass from existence; disappear gradually. perishes, perished.
perishable ::: subject to decay, spoilage, or destruction.
pervades ::: is present throughout; permeates. pervaded, pervading.
picture ::: 1. A visual representation or image painted, drawn, photographed, or otherwise rendered on a flat surface. 2. A visible image however produced. 3. A particular image or reality as portrayed in an account or description; depiction; version. pictures. (See also moving picture (‘s).)
pictured ::: represented graphically by sketch or design or lines.
plinth ::: a block or slab on which a pedestal, column, or statue is placed.
plough ::: n. 1. An agricultural implement with sharp blades, pulled by a horse, tractor, etc., for cutting or turning over the earth. v. 2. To make (furrows or grooves) in (something) with or as if with a plough. 3. To make furrows, turn, etc. as if with a plough. ploughs, ploughed, ploughing.
plunge ::: n. 1. A leap or dive as into water. Also fig. 2. An abrupt or precipitous descent as a cliff. v. 3. To thrust or throw forcefully into a substance, place or action. 4. To enter or move headlong through something. 5. To descend steeply; fall precipitously. plunges, plunged, plunging.
poverty ::: 1. The state of being poor; lack of the means of providing material needs or comforts. 2. Deficiency of necessary or desirable ingredients, qualities, etc.
predestined ::: destined or appointed beforehand; foreordained; predetermined; fated.
preludes ::: serves as an introduction.
presence ::: 1. The state or fact of being present; current existence or occurrence. 2. A divine, spiritual, or supernatural spirit or influence felt or conceived as present. 3. The immediate proximity of someone or something.
Sri Aurobindo: "It is intended by the word Presence to indicate the sense and perception of the Divine as a Being, felt as present in one"s existence and consciousness or in relation with it, without the necessity of any further qualification or description. Thus, of the ‘ineffable Presence" it can only be said that it is there and nothing more can or need be said about it, although at the same time one knows that all is there, personality and impersonality, Power and Light and Ananda and everything else, and that all these flow from that indescribable Presence. The word may be used sometimes in a less absolute sense, but that is always the fundamental significance, — the essential perception of the essential Presence supporting everything else.” *Letters on Yoga
"Beyond mind on spiritual and supramental levels dwells the Presence, the Truth, the Power, the Bliss that can alone deliver us from these illusions, display the Light of which our ideals are tarnished disguises and impose the harmony that shall at once transfigure and reconcile all the parts of our nature.” Essays Divine and Human
"But if we learn to live within, we infallibly awaken to this presence within us which is our more real self, a presence profound, calm, joyous and puissant of which the world is not the master — a presence which, if it is not the Lord Himself, is the radiation of the Lord within.” *The Life Divine
"The true soul secret in us, — subliminal, we have said, but the word is misleading, for this presence is not situated below the threshold of waking mind, but rather burns in the temple of the inmost heart behind the thick screen of an ignorant mind, life and body, not subliminal but behind the veil, — this veiled psychic entity is the flame of the Godhead always alight within us, inextinguishable even by that dense unconsciousness of any spiritual self within which obscures our outward nature. It is a flame born out of the Divine and, luminous inhabitant of the Ignorance, grows in it till it is able to turn it towards the Knowledge. It is the concealed Witness and Control, the hidden Guide, the Daemon of Socrates, the inner light or inner voice of the mystic. It is that which endures and is imperishable in us from birth to birth, untouched by death, decay or corruption, an indestructible spark of the Divine.” *The Life Divine
"If we need any personal and inner witness to this indivisible All-Consciousness behind the ignorance, — all Nature is its external proof, — we can get it with any completeness only in our deeper inner being or larger and higher spiritual state when we draw back behind the veil of our own surface ignorance and come into contact with the divine Idea and Will behind it. Then we see clearly enough that what we have done by ourselves in our ignorance was yet overseen and guided in its result by the invisible Omniscience; we discover a greater working behind our ignorant working and begin to glimpse its purpose in us: then only can we see and know what now we worship in faith, recognise wholly the pure and universal Presence, meet the Lord of all being and all Nature.” *The Life Divine
"The presence of the Spirit is there in every living being, on every level, in all things, and because it is there, the experience of Sachchidananda, of the pure spiritual existence and consciousness, of the delight of a divine presence, closeness, contact can be acquired through the mind or the heart or the life-sense or even through the physical consciousness; if the inner doors are flung sufficiently open, the light from the sanctuary can suffuse the nearest and the farthest chambers of the outer being.” *The Life Divine
"There is a secret divine Will, eternal and infinite, omniscient and omnipotent, that expresses itself in the universality and in each particular of all these apparently temporal and finite inconscient or half-conscient things. This is the Power or Presence meant by the Gita when it speaks of the Lord within the heart of all existences who turns all creatures as if mounted on a machine by the illusion of Nature.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
"For what Yoga searches after is not truth of thought alone or truth of mind alone, but the dynamic truth of a living and revealing spiritual experience. There must awake in us a constant indwelling and enveloping nearness, a vivid perception, a close feeling and communion, a concrete sense and contact of a true and infinite Presence always and everywhere. That Presence must remain with us as the living, pervading Reality in which we and all things exist and move and act, and we must feel it always and everywhere, concrete, visible, inhabiting all things; it must be patent to us as their true Self, tangible as their imperishable Essence, met by us closely as their inmost Spirit. To see, to feel, to sense, to contact in every way and not merely to conceive this Self and Spirit here in all existences and to feel with the same vividness all existences in this Self and Spirit, is the fundamental experience which must englobe all other knowledge.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
"One must have faith in the Master of our life and works, even if for a long time He conceals Himself, and then in His own right time He will reveal His Presence.” *Letters on Yoga
"They [the psychic being and the Divine Presence in the heart] are quite different things. The psychic being is one"s own individual soul-being. It is not the Divine, though it has come from the Divine and develops towards the Divine.” *Letters on Yoga
"For it is quietness and inwardness that enable one to feel the Presence.” *Letters on Yoga
"Beyond mind on spiritual and supramental levels dwells the Presence, the Truth, the Power, the Bliss that can alone deliver us from these illusions, display the Light of which our ideals are tarnished disguises and impose the harmony that shall at once transfigure and reconcile all the parts of our nature.” *Essays Divine and Human
The Mother: "For, in human beings, here is a presence, the most marvellous Presence on earth, and except in a few very rare cases which I need not mention here, this presence lies asleep in the heart — not in the physical heart but the psychic centre — of all beings. And when this Splendour is manifested with enough purity, it will awaken in all beings the echo of his Presence.” Words of the Mother, MCW, Vol. 15.
press ::: n. 1. A crowd, throng, or multitude. 2. A crowding, thronging, or pressing together; a collective force. 3. Pressure or demands of affairs; urgency, haste, hurry. v. 4. To exert weight, force or pressure. 5. To advance or carry on vigorously despite obstacles in one"s way. 6. To impress (a thing) upon the mind, etc., emphasize, inculcate. 7. To beset or harass; afflict. 8. To cause to move in some direction or into some position by pressure; to push, drive, thrust. 9. To compress or squeeze. 10. To squeeze out or express, as juice. 11. To urge or entreat strongly or insistently. 12. To hold closely as in an embrace; clasp. presses, pressed, pressing.
priestess ::: a woman who presides over religious rites, especially in pagan religions. Also fig. and transf.
"Progress admittedly does not march on securely in a straight line like a man sure of his familiar way or an army covering an unimpeded terrain or well-mapped unoccupied spaces. Human progress is very much an adventure through the unknown, an unknown full of surprises and baffling obstacles; it stumbles often, it misses its way at many points, it cedes here in order to gain there, it retraces its steps frequently in order to get more widely forward.” *The Renaissance in India
"Pulling comes usually from a desire to get things for oneself — in aspiration there is a self-giving for the higher consciousness to descend and take possession — the more intense the call the greater the self-giving.” Letters on Yoga
purveyor ::: a person or thing that habitually provides or supplies a particular thing or quality. purveyors.
ravaged ::: pillaged, destroyed, or devastated.
reason ::: v. 1. To form conclusions, judgments, or inferences from facts or premises. 2. To determine or conclude by logical thinking. reasons, reasoned.* *n. 3. An underlying fact or cause that provides logical sense for a premise or occurrence. Reason, reason"s, Reason"s. ::: *
recede ::: 1. To retreat; withdraw; become fainter or more distant. 2. To move away or be perceived as moving away from an observer, esp. as giving the illusion of space. recedes, receded, receding, fast-receding.
reign ::: n. 1. Dominating power or influence. 2. Exercise of sovereign power, as by a monarch. 3. Poet. Dominance or widespread influence in a specific sphere. v. 4. To exercise sovereign power. 5. To be predominant or prevalent. reigns, reigned.
report ::: n. 1. An account or statement describing in detail an event, situation, or the like, usually as the result of observation, inquiry, etc. v. **2. **To make or present an often official, formal, or regular account of.
resides ::: of things, qualities, etc.: Abides, lies, or is present habitually; exists or is inherent.
resident ::: one who resides in a particular place permanently or for an extended period. Here in reference to the divinity within us.
reverse ::: n. **1. The side of a coin or medal that does not carry the principal design. v. 2. To revoke or set aside (a judgment, decree, etc.); annul. 3. To change into something different or contrary; alter completely. 4. To turn and proceed in the opposite direction. reversed, reversing.**
rich ::: 1. Abounding in desirable elements or qualities. 2. Having great worth or value. 3. Abundant. 4. Possessing great material wealth: Also fig. **5. Expensively elegant, elaborate, or fine; costly. 6. Magnificent; sumptuous. 7. Warm and strong in colour. 8. Of sounds: Pleasantly full and mellow. Also fig. richer, richest, richly, rich-coloured, rich-hearted, rich-plumaged.**
round ::: adj. 1. Full, complete, entire. rounded. 2. Whole or complete; full. 3. Expressed to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand; rounded by approximation. adv. 4. Involving or using circular motion. 5. On all sides; all about; surrounding; enveloping. 6. In all directions from a centre or point of reference. 7. In a circular or rounded course. prep. 8. Around.
rude ::: 1. Rough, harsh or ungentle. 2. Lacking the graces and refinement of civilized life; uncouth; primitive. 3. Roughly made or formed; imperfect in design or execution; of a crude construction. 4. Coarse, vulgar, rough; uncivilised; violent in action.
ruinous ::: causing, tending to cause, or characterized by ruin or destruction.
ruin ::: the downfall, decay, or destruction of anything.
rule ::: n. 1. Action, procedure, arrangement, etc. 2. Governing power or its possession or use; authority. 3. A usual, customary, or generalized course of action or behaviour. 4. The customary or normal circumstance, occurrence, manner, practice, quality, etc. 5. A thin metal strip of various widths and designs, used to print borders or lines, as between columns. Chiefly fig. rules, rule-maker, self-rule. *v. 6. To control or direct; exercise dominating power, authority, or influence over; govern. *rules, ruled, ruling.
sadistic ::: pertaining to cruelty that evidences a subconscious craving and is apparently satisfied, sexually or otherwise, by the infliction of pain on another by means of aggressive or destructive behaviour or the assertion of power over that person; also loosely, deliberate or excessive cruelty morbidly enjoyed.
sate ::: to satisfy (a desire or appetite) fully. sates.
satiety ::: the condition of having any appetite or desire gratified to the full or to excess.
satisfaction ::: 1. The state of being satisfied; contentment. 2. An instance of the fulfilment or gratification of a desire, need, or appetite.
satisfy ::: to fulfil the desires, expectations, aspirations, needs, or demands of (a person, the mind, heart, etc.); give full contentment to. satisfies, satisfied.
savitri ::: "In the Mahabharata, the heroine of the tale of Satyavan and Savitri; . . . . She was the daughter of King Ashwapati, and lover of Satyavan, whom she married although she was warned by Narada that he had only one year to live. On the fatal day, when Yama carried off Satyavan"s spirit, she followed him with unswerving devotion. Ultimately Yama was constrained to restore her husband to life.” *Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo"s Works
Sri Aurobindo: "Savitri is the Divine Word, daughter of the Sun, goddess of the supreme Truth who comes down and is born to save; . . . .” (Author"s note at beginning of Savitri.)
"Savitri is represented in the poem as an incarnation of the Divine Mother . . . .” Letters on Savitri
The Mother: "Savitri [the poem] is a mantra for the transformation of the world.” Spoken to Udar
scale ::: n. 1. A progressive or graduated series or classification. 2. An ascending or descending collection of pitches proceeding by a specified scheme of intervals. 3. A standard of measurement or judgment; a criterion. 4. Relative or proportionate size or extent; degree, proportion. slow-scaled. *v. 5. To climb; ascend; move upward; mount. *scales.
scheme ::: 1. A plan, design, or program of action to be followed. 2. A systematic plan of action to achieve a specific end. 3. A diagram, map, or the like. schemes, schemed, scheme-lines, world-scheme.
screen ::: n. 1. A moveable or fixed device, usually consisting of a covered frame, that provides shelter, serves as a partition, etc. 2. Something interposed as a partition so as to conceal from view. 3. A window or door insertion or framed wire or plastic mesh used to keep out insects and permit air flow. 4. A specially prepared, light reflecting, flat vertical surface for the reception of images as from a slide or motion picture projector. screens. v. 5. To conceal from view with or as if with a screen. screens, screened.
scribe ::: a general designation for any public official (whether of high or low rank) concerned with writing or the keeping of accounts; a secretary, clerk. Scribe, scribes.
sculptured ::: 1. Cut into a desired shape. 2. Having a surface or shape moulded, marked, carved, indented, etc. by or as if by sculpture. dream-sculptured.
sculpture ::: the art or practice of shaping figures or designs in the round or in relief as by chiselling marble, modelling clay, or casting in metal.
self-will ::: wilful or obstinate persistence in following one"s own desires, aims or opinions.
sendesta ::: a native English form of the verb, to send, now only in formal and poetic usage.
servitude ::: the state or condition of a slave; bondage; lack of personal freedom as to act as one chooses. servitude"s, servitudes.
shade ::: 1. The comparative darkness caused by the interception or screening of rays of light from an object, place, or area. 2. A place or an area of comparative darkness, as one sheltered from the sun. 3. A shadow. 4. A spectre; a shadow. 5. Something that provides a shield or protection from a direct source of light. 6. A colour that varies slightly from a standard colour due to a difference in hue, saturation, or luminosity. 7. Fig. Something resembling a ghost or a disembodied spirit; something insubstantial or fleeting. 8. shades. Darkness gathering at the close of day. Shade, shades.
shatter ::: 1. To break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow; smash. 2. To impair or destroy (health, nerves, etc.). 3. To weaken, destroy, or refute (ideas, opinions, etc.). 4. To damage, as by breaking or crushing. shattered, shatterer.
shelter ::: n. 1. Something that provides cover or protection, as from the weather, danger, etc. v. 2. To provide with refuge as by shelter, to harbour; to take under (one"s) protection. adj. **3. Protected from troubles, annoyances, sordidness, etc. 4. Protected or shielded from storms, cold, the sun, etc. by a wall, roof, barrier, or the like. sheltered, sheltering.**
shepherd ::: n. 1. In combination, denoting a thing such as is used by or is characteristic of shepherds, as a shepherd"s staff. shepherd"s. 2. One who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people. Fig. a spiritual guardian. (Sri Aurobindo employs the word in this sense as an adj.) v. 3. To tend, watch over carefully, guard or guide as a shepherd does his sheep. shepherds.
shiva ::: "The ‘auspicious one"; a name of the third deity of the Hindu Trinity; . . . represented mostly as ‘the pure and white, the ascetic, the still, contemplative Yogin". The name Shiva is not found in the Vedas; however, the name Rudra occurs both in the singular and the plural. This Rudra of the Vedas developed in the course of time into Shiva, considered in the Puranic tradition mainly as the destroying or dissolving Power. He has a third eye in the middle of the forehead, a fiery glance from which once reduced Kamadeva to ashes. In his creative aspect he is represented as a Linga (phallus), symbolising the male procreative energy in nature. It is under the form of the Linga that Shiva is mostly worshipped. His abode is on Mt. Kailash, Parvati is his spouse and the Trisula (the trident) his weapon.” *Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo"s Works
sign ::: n. 1. An act or gesture used to convey an idea, a desire, information, or a command. 2. Any object, action, event, pattern, etc., that conveys a meaning. 3. A mark used to mean something; a symbol that sets something apart from others of its kind. 4. Something that indicates or acts as a token of a fact, condition, etc., that is not immediately or outwardly observable. 5. A signal. 6. A conventional figure or device that stands for a word, phrase, or operation; a symbol, as in mathematics or in musical notation. 7. A displayed structure such as a banner bearing lettering or symbols. 8. An act or significant event that is experienced as indication of divine intervention. 9. A portent of things to come. Sign, sign"s, signs, signless, sign-burdened, flame-signs. v. 10. To affix one"s signature to. 11. To indicate by or as if by a sign; betoken. signs, signed, signing.
sink ::: n. 1. A cesspool; a covered cistern into which waste water and sewage flow. Also fig. 2. An area of ground that slopes below the level of the surrounding land. v. 3. To descend to the bottom; submerge. 4. To fall, drop, or descend gradually to a lower level. 5. To decline or cause to decline in moral value, pass into a lower state or condition. etc. 6. To fall or drop to a lower level, especially to go down slowly or in stages; subside, as land. 7. To diminish or appear to move downward, as the sun or moon in setting. 8. To become lower in volume or pitch; gradually become fainter. sunk.
siren ::: classical Mythol. One of several fabulous sea nymphs, part woman, part bird, who were supposed to lure sailors to destruction by their enchanting singing. Fig. One who, or that which, sings sweetly, charms, allures, or deceives, like the Sirens. (Sri Aurobindo uses the word in its adjectival sense: Seductive, tempting.)
slay ::: 1. To kill or murder; to deprive of life by violence; destroy. slays, slew, slaying, slain, slayer, soul-slaying.
‘soil" was an error for ‘soul". But ‘soil" is correct; for I am describing the revealing light falling upon the lower levels of the earth, not on the soul. No doubt, the whole thing is symbolic, but the symbol has to be kept in the front and the thing symbolised has to be concealed or only peep out from behind, it cannot come openly into the front and push aside the symbol.” Letters on Savitri — 1946
soliciting ::: making a request, as for something desired.
solitude ::: 1. The state or quality of being alone or remote from others. 2. A lonely, secluded or uninhabited place. Solitude, solitudes.
sorrow ::: 1. Mental suffering or pain caused by injury, loss, or despair. 2. Expression of sorrow; grieving; poet., tears. sorrow"s, Sorrow"s, sorrows, Man of Sorrows (see Man)
soul ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The word ‘soul", as also the word ‘psychic", is used very vaguely and in many different senses in the English language. More often than not, in ordinary parlance, no clear distinction is made between mind and soul and often there is an even more serious confusion, for the vital being of desire — the false soul or desire-soul — is intended by the words ‘soul" and ‘psychic" and not the true soul, the psychic being.” *Letters on Yoga
"The word soul is very vaguely used in English — as it often refers to the whole non-physical consciousness including even the vital with all its desires and passions. That was why the word psychic being has to be used so as to distinguish this divine portion from the instrumental parts of the nature.” *Letters on Yoga
"The word soul has various meanings according to the context; it may mean the Purusha supporting the formation of Prakriti, which we call a being, though the proper word would be rather a becoming; it may mean, on the other hand, specifically the psychic being in an evolutionary creature like man; it may mean the spark of the Divine which has been put into Matter by the descent of the Divine into the material world and which upholds all evolving formations here.” *Letters on Yoga
"A distinction has to be made between the soul in its essence and the psychic being. Behind each and all there is the soul which is the spark of the Divine — none could exist without that. But it is quite possible to have a vital and physical being supported by such a soul essence but without a clearly evolved psychic being behind it.” *Letters on Yoga
"The soul and the psychic being are practically the same, except that even in things which have not developed a psychic being, there is still a spark of the Divine which can be called the soul. The psychic being is called in Sanskrit the Purusha in the heart or the Chaitya Purusha. (The psychic being is the soul developing in the evolution.)” *Letters on Yoga
"The soul or spark is there before the development of an organised vital and mind. The soul is something of the Divine that descends into the evolution as a divine Principle within it to support the evolution of the individual out of the Ignorance into the Light. It develops in the course of the evolution a psychic individual or soul individuality which grows from life to life, using the evolving mind, vital and body as its instruments. It is the soul that is immortal while the rest disintegrates; it passes from life to life carrying its experience in essence and the continuity of the evolution of the individual.” *Letters on Yoga
". . . for the soul is seated within and impervious to the shocks of external events. . . .” *Essays on the Gita
". . . the soul is at first but a spark and then a little flame of godhead burning in the midst of a great darkness; for the most part it is veiled in its inner sanctum and to reveal itself it has to call on the mind, the life-force and the physical consciousness and persuade them, as best they can, to express it; ordinarily, it succeeds at most in suffusing their outwardness with its inner light and modifying with its purifying fineness their dark obscurities or their coarser mixture. Even when there is a formed psychic being able to express itself with some directness in life, it is still in all but a few a smaller portion of the being — ‘no bigger in the mass of the body than the thumb of a man" was the image used by the ancient seers — and it is not always able to prevail against the obscurity or ignorant smallness of the physical consciousness, the mistaken surenesses of the mind or the arrogance and vehemence of the vital nature.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
". . . the soul is an eternal portion of the Supreme and not a fraction of Nature.” The Life Divine
"The true soul secret in us, — subliminal, we have said, but the word is misleading, for this presence is not situated below the threshold of waking mind, but rather burns in the temple of the inmost heart behind the thick screen of an ignorant mind, life and body, not subliminal but behind the veil, — this veiled psychic entity is the flame of the Godhead always alight within us, inextinguishable even by that dense unconsciousness of any spiritual self within which obscures our outward nature. It is a flame born out of the Divine and, luminous inhabitant of the Ignorance, grows in it till it is able to turn it towards the Knowledge. It is the concealed Witness and Control, the hidden Guide, the Daemon of Socrates, the inner light or inner voice of the mystic. It is that which endures and is imperishable in us from birth to birth, untouched by death, decay or corruption, an indestructible spark of the Divine.” The Life Divine
*Soul, soul"s, Soul"s, souls, soulless, soul-bridals, soul-change, soul-force, Soul-Forces, soul-ground, soul-joy, soul-nature, soul-range, soul-ray, soul-scapes, soul-scene, soul-sense, soul-severance, soul-sight, soul-slaying, soul-space,, soul-spaces, soul-strength, soul-stuff, soul-truth, soul-vision, soul-wings, world-soul, World-Soul.
spiral ::: n. 1. A curve on a plane that winds around a fixed centre point at a continuously increasing or decreasing distance from the point. spirals. adj. 2. Coiled round like a spring, with each coil the same size as the one below. 3. Of an ascending or descending path.
spirit ::: 1. The principle of conscious life; the vital principle in humans, animating the body or mediating between body and soul. 2. A supernatural being. 3. The essential of anything. 4. An attitude or principle that inspires, animates, or pervades thought, feeling, or action. 5. A supernatural, incorporeal being, esp. one inhabiting a place, object, etc., or having a particular character. **spirit"s, spirits, spirit-depths, spirit-room, spirit-sense, spirit-space, World-spirit, World-Spirit.
Sri Aurobindo: "Avatarhood would have little meaning if it were not connected with the evolution. The Hindu procession of the ten Avatars is itself, as it were, a parable of evolution. First the Fish Avatar, then the amphibious animal between land and water, then the land animal, then the Man-Lion Avatar, bridging man and animal, then man as dwarf, small and undeveloped and physical but containing in himself the godhead and taking possession of existence, then the rajasic, sattwic, nirguna Avatars, leading the human development from the vital rajasic to the sattwic mental man and again the overmental superman. Krishna, Buddha and Kalki depict the last three stages, the stages of the spiritual development — Krishna opens the possibility of overmind, Buddha tries to shoot beyond to the supreme liberation but that liberation is still negative, not returning upon earth to complete positively the evolution; Kalki is to correct this by bringing the Kingdom of the Divine upon earth, destroying the opposing Asura forces. The progression is striking and unmistakable.” *Letters on Yoga
*Sri Aurobindo: ". . . desires come from outside, enter the subconscious vital and rise to the surface. It is only when they rise to the surface and the mind becomes aware of them, that we become conscious of the desire. It seems to us to be our own because we feel it thus rising from the vital into the mind and do not know that it came from outside.” Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "But what do we mean by the individual? What we usually call by that name is a natural ego, a device of Nature which holds together her action in the mind and body. This ego has to be extinguished, otherwise there is no complete liberation possible; but the individual self or soul is not this ego. The individual soul is the spiritual being which is sometimes described as an eternal portion of the Divine, but can also be described as the Divine himself supporting his manifestation as the Many. This is the true spiritual individual which appears in its complete truth when we get rid of the ego and our false separative sense of individuality, realise our oneness with the transcendent and cosmic Divine and with all beings.” *Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "But when I speak of the Divine Will, I mean something different, — something that has descended here into an evolutionary world of Ignorance, standing at the back of things, pressing on the Darkness with its Light, leading things presently towards the best possible in the conditions of a world of Ignorance and leading it eventually towards a descent of a greater power of the Divine, which will be not an omnipotence held back and conditioned by the law of the world as it is, but in full action and therefore bringing the reign of light, peace, harmony, joy, love, beauty and Ananda, for these are the Divine Nature.” *Letters on Yoga
*Sri Aurobindo: "Dawn always means an opening of some kind — the coming of something that is not yet fully there.” Letters on Yoga ::: "As the Sun is image and godhead of the golden Light of the divine Truth, so Dawn is image and godhead of the opening out of the supreme illumination on the night of our human ignorance. Dawn daughter of Heaven and Night her sister are obverse and reverse sides of the same eternal Infinite.” The Secret of the Veda
Sri Aurobindo: "Destiny in the rigid sense applies only to the outer being so long as it lives in the Ignorance. What we call destiny is only in fact the result of the present condition of the being and the nature and energies it has accumulated in the past acting on each other and determining the present attempts and their future results. But as soon as one enters the path of spiritual life, this old predetermined destiny begins to recede. There comes in a new factor, the Divine Grace, the help of a higher Divine Force other than the force of Karma, which can lift the sadhak beyond the present possibilities of his nature. One"s spiritual destiny is then the divine election which ensures the future.” *Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "Destruction in itself is neither good nor evil. It is a fact of Nature, a necessity in the play of forces, as things are in this world. The Light destroys the Darkness and the Powers of Darkness, and that is not a movement of Ignorance!” *Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "Finally, we have the goddess Dakshina who may well be a female form of Daksha, himself a god and afterwards in the Purana one of the Prajapatis, the original progenitors, — we have Dakshina associated with the manifestation of knowledge and sometimes almost identified with Usha, the divine Dawn, who is the bringer of illumination. I shall suggest that Dakshina like the more famous Ila, Saraswati and Sarama, is one of four goddesses representing the four faculties of the Ritam or Truth-consciousness, — Ila representing truth-vision or revelation, Saraswati truth-audition, inspiration, the divine word, Sarama intuition, Dakshina the separative intuitional discrimination.” *The Secret of the Veda
Sri Aurobindo: ". . . for each individual is in himself the Eternal who has assumed name and form and supports through him the experiences of life turning on an ever-circling wheel of birth in the manifestation. The wheel is kept in motion by the desire of the individual, which becomes the effective cause of rebirth and by the mind"s turning away from the knowledge of the eternal self to the preoccupations of the temporal becoming.” The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "Form is the basic means of manifestation and without it it may be said that the manifestation of anything is not complete. Even if the Formless logically precedes Form, yet it is not illogical to assume that in the Formless, Form is inherent and already existent in a mystic latency, otherwise how could it be manifested?” *Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: " For the highest intuitive Knowledge sees things in the whole, in the large and details only as sides of the indivisible whole; its tendency is towards immediate synthesis and the unity of knowledge.” *The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "History teaches us nothing; it is a confused torrent of events and personalities or a kaleidoscope of changing institutions. We do not seize the real sense of all this change and this continual streaming forward of human life in the channels of Time. What we do seize are current or recurrent phenomena, facile generalisations, partial ideas. We talk of democracy, aristocracy and autocracy, collectivism and individualism, imperialism and nationalism, the State and the commune, capitalism and labour; we advance hasty generalisations and make absolute systems which are positively announced today only to be abandoned perforce tomorrow; we espouse causes and ardent enthusiasms whose triumph turns to an early disillusionment and then forsake them for others, perhaps for those that we have taken so much trouble to destroy. For a whole century mankind thirsts and battles after liberty and earns it with a bitter expense of toil, tears and blood; the century that enjoys without having fought for it turns away as from a puerile illusion and is ready to renounce the depreciated gain as the price of some new good. And all this happens because our whole thought and action with regard to our collective life is shallow and empirical; it does not seek for, it does not base itself on a firm, profound and complete knowledge. The moral is not the vanity of human life, of its ardours and enthusiasms and of the ideals it pursues, but the necessity of a wiser, larger, more patient search after its true law and aim.” *The Human Cycle etc.
Sri Aurobindo: "If this higher buddhi {{understanding in the profoundest sense] could act pure of the interference of these lower members, it would give pure forms of the truth; observation would be dominated or replaced by a vision which could see without subservient dependence on the testimony of the sense-mind and senses; imagination would give place to the self-assured inspiration of the truth, reasoning to the spontaneous discernment of relations and conclusion from reasoning to an intuition containing in itself those relations and not building laboriously upon them, judgment to a thought-vision in whose light the truth would stand revealed without the mask which it now wears and which our intellectual judgment has to penetrate; while memory too would take upon itself that larger sense given to it in Greek thought and be no longer a paltry selection from the store gained by the individual in his present life, but rather the all-recording knowledge which secretly holds and constantly gives from itself everything that we now seem painfully to acquire but really in this sense remember, a knowledge which includes the future(1) no less than the past. ::: Footnote: In this sense the power of prophecy has been aptly called a memory of the future.]” *The Synthesis of Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "In the very atom there is a subconscious will and desire which must also be present in all atomic aggregates because they are present in the Force which constitutes the atom.” *Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "I take upon myself the right to coin new words. ‘Immensitudes" is not any more fantastic than ‘infinitudes" to pair ‘infinity".” immensitude, Immensitudes.
Sri Aurobindo: "It could be affirmed as a consequence that there is one all-pervading Life or dynamic energy — the material aspect being only its outermost movement — that creates all these forms of the physical universe, Life imperishable and eternal which, even if the whole figure of the universe were quite abolished, would itself still go on existing and be capable of producing a new universe in its place, must indeed, unless it be held back in a state of rest by some higher Power or hold itself back, inevitably go on creating. In that case Life is nothing else than the Force that builds and maintains and destroys forms in the world; it is Life that manifests itself in the form of the earth as much as in the plant that grows upon the earth and the animals that support their existence by devouring the life-force of the plant or of each other. All existence here is a universal Life that takes form of Matter. It might for that purpose hide life-process in physical process before it emerges as submental sensitivity and mentalised vitality, but still it would be throughout the same creative Life-principle.” *The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: " Love? It is not Love who meets the burdened great and governs the fate of men! Nor is it Pain. Time also does not do these things — it only provides the field and movement of events. If I had wanted to give a name, I would have done it, but it has purposely to be left nameless because it is indefinable. He may use Love or Pain or Time or any of these powers but is not any of them. You can call him the Master of the Evolution, if you like. Letters of Savitri
*Sri Aurobindo: "Man cannot by his own effort make himself more than man; the mental being cannot by his own unaided force change himself into a supramental spirit. A descent of the Divine Nature can alone divinise the human receptacle.” Essays Divine and Human
Sri Aurobindo: "Material Nature is not ethical; the law which governs it is a co-ordination of fixed habits which take no cognisance of good and evil, but only of force that creates, force that arranges and preserves, force that disturbs and destroys impartially, non-ethically, according to the secret Will in it, according to the mute satisfaction of that Will in its own self-formations and self-dissolutions.” *The Life Divine
*Sri Aurobindo: "Mind has its own realms and life has its own realms just as matter has. In the mental realms life and substance are entirely subordinated to Mind and obey its dictates. Here on earth there is the evolution with matter as the starting-point, life as the medium, mind emerging from it. There are many grades, realms, combinations in the cosmos — there are even many universes. Ours is only one of many.” Letters on Yoga
*Sri Aurobindo: "Pity may be reserved, so long as thy soul makes distinctions, for the suffering animals; but humanity deserves from thee something nobler; it asks for love, for understanding, for comradeship, for the help of the equal & brother.” Essays Divine and Human
Sri Aurobindo: "Satyavan is the soul carrying the divine truth of being within itself but descended into the grip of death and ignorance; . . .” (Author"s note at the preface to Savitri.)
Sri Aurobindo: "That (‘to blend and blur shades owing to technical exigencies"] might be all right for mental poetry — it won"t do for what I am trying to create — in that, one word won"t do for the other. Even in mental poetry I consider it an inferior method. ‘Gleam" and ‘glow" are two quite different things and the poet who uses them indifferently has constantly got his eye upon words rather than upon the object.” Letters on Savitri *
*Sri Aurobindo: "The earth is a material field of evolution. Mind and life, supermind, Sachchidananda are in principle involved there in the earth-consciousness; but only Matter is at first organized; then life descends from the life plane and gives shape and organization and activity to the life principle in Matter, creates the plant and animal; then mind descends from the mind plane, creating man. Now supermind is to descend so as to create a supramental race.” Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "The faith in the divine Shakti must be always at the back of our strength and when she becomes manifest, it must be or grow implicit and complete. There is nothing that is impossible to her who is the conscious Power and universal Goddess all-creative from eternity and armed with the Spirit"s omnipotence.” The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "The first is the discovery of the soul, not the outer soul of thought and emotion and desire, but the secret psychic entity, the divine element within us. When that becomes dominant over the nature, when we are consciously the soul and when mind, life and body take their true place as its instruments, we are aware of a guide within that knows the truth, the good, the true delight and beauty of existence, controls heart and intellect by its luminous law and leads our life and being towards spiritual completeness.” *The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "The Life Heavens are the heavens of the vital gods and there is there a perfect harmony but a harmony of the sublimated satisfied senses and vital desires only.” Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "The Mother not only governs all from above but she descends into this lesser triple universe. Impersonally, all things here, even the movements of the Ignorance, are herself in veiled power and her creations in diminished substance, her Nature-body and Nature-force, and they exist because, moved by the mysterious fiat of the Supreme to work out something that was there in the possibilities of the Infinite, she has consented to the great sacrifice and has put on like a mask the soul and forms of the Ignorance. But personally too she has stooped to descend here into the Darkness that she may lead it to the Light, into the Falsehood and Error that she may convert it to the Truth, into this Death that she may turn it to godlike Life, into this world-pain and its obstinate sorrow and suffering that she may end it in the transforming ecstasy of her sublime Ananda. In her deep and great love for her children she has consented to put on herself the cloak of this obscurity, condescended to bear the attacks and torturing influences of the powers of the Darkness and the Falsehood, borne to pass though the portals of the birth that is a death, taken upon herself the pangs and sorrows and sufferings of the creation, since it seemed that thus alone could it be lifted to the Light and Joy and Truth and eternal Life. This is the great sacrifice called sometimes the sacrifice of the Purusha, but much more deeply the holocaust of Prakriti, the sacrifice of the Divine Mother.” The Mother
*Sri Aurobindo: "The timeless Spirit is not necessarily a blank; it may hold all in itself, but in essence, without reference to time or form or relation or circumstance, perhaps in an eternal unity. Eternity is the common term between Time and the Timeless Spirit. What is in the Timeless unmanifested, implied, essential, appears in Time in movement, or at least in design and relation, in result and circumstance. These two then are the same Eternity or the same Eternal in a double status; they are a twofold status of being and consciousness, one an eternity of immobile status, the other an eternity of motion in status.” The Life Divine ::: "The spiritual fullness of the being is eternity; . . . ” The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "The true soul secret in us, — subliminal, we have said, but the word is misleading, for this presence is not situated below the threshold of waking mind, but rather burns in the temple of the inmost heart behind the thick screen of an ignorant mind, life and body, not subliminal but behind the veil, — this veiled psychic entity is the flame of the Godhead always alight within us, inextinguishable even by that dense unconsciousness of any spiritual self within which obscures our outward nature. It is a flame born out of the Divine and, luminous inhabitant of the Ignorance, grows in it till it is able to turn it towards the Knowledge. It is the concealed Witness and Control, the hidden Guide, the Daemon of Socrates, the inner light or inner voice of the mystic. It is that which endures and is imperishable in us from birth to birth, untouched by death, decay or corruption, an indestructible spark of the Divine.” *The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "The universe is a manifestation of the Reality, and there is a truth of the universal existence, a Power of cosmic being, an all-self or world-spirit. Humanity is a formation or manifestation of the Reality in the universe, and there is a truth and self of humanity, a human spirit, a destiny of human life.” The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "The word ‘descend" has various meanings according to the context — I used it here in the sense of the psychic being coming down into the human consciousness and body ready for it.” Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "This descent is felt as a pouring in of calm and peace, of force and power, of light, of joy and ecstasy, of wideness and freedom and knowledge, of a Divine Being or a Presence — sometimes one of these, sometimes several of them or all together.” Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "To act according to a standard of Truth or a rule or law of action (dharma) or in obedience to a superior authority or to the highest principles discovered by the reason and intelligent will and not according to one"s own fancy, vital impulses and desires. In yoga obedience to the Guru or to the Divine and the law of the Truth as declared by the Guru is the foundation of discipline.” *Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "To be entirely sincere means to desire the divine Truth only, to surrender yourself more and more to the Divine Mother, to reject all personal demand and desire other than this one aspiration, to offer every action in life to the Divine and do it as the work given without bringing in the ego. This is the basis of the divine life.” Bases of Yoga*
"That there is a divine force asleep or veiled by Inconscience in Matter and that the Higher Force has to descend and awaken it with the Light and Truth is a thing that is well known; it is at the very base of this yoga.” Letters on Yoga
"The Adversary will disappear only when he is no longer necessary in the world. And we know very well that he is necessary, as the touch-stone for gold: to know if it is pure. But if one is really sincere, the Adversary can"t even approach him any longer; and he doesn"t try it, because that would be courting his own destruction.” Questions and Answers 1955, MCW Vol. 7.
The Apsaras then are the divine Hetairae of Paradise, beautiful singers and actresses whose beauty and art relieve the arduous and world-long struggle of the Gods against the forces that tend towards disruption by the Titans who would restore Matter to its original atomic condition or of dissolution by the sages and hermits who would make phenomena dissolve prematurely into the One who is above phenomena. They rose from the Ocean, says Valmiki, seeking who should choose them as brides, but neither the Gods nor the Titans accepted them, therefore are they said to be common or universal. The Harmony of Virtue
"the basic syllable OM, which is the foundation of all the perfect creative sounds of the revealed word; OM is the one universal formulation of the energy of sound and speech, that which contains and sums up, synthesises and releases, all the spiritual power and all the potentiality of Vak (speech, the goddess Speech) and Shabda (sound, vibration, word). The mantra of the divine consciousness brings its light of revelation, the Mantra of the divine Power, its will of effectuation, the Mantra of the divine Ananda is equal fulfilment of the spiritual delight of existence. All word and thought are an outflowing of he great OM, - OM, the Word, the Eternal Manifest in the forms of sensible objects; manifest in that conscious play of creative self-conception of which forms and objects are the figures, manifest behind in the self-gathered superconscient power of the Infinite, OM is the sovereign source, seed, womb of thing and idea, form and name – it is itself, integrally, the supreme Intangible, the original Unity, the timeless Mystery self- existent above all manifestation in supernal being.” SABCL Volume 13 – Page 315*
"The body is not only the necessary outer instrument of the physical part of action, but for the purposes of this life a base or pedestal also for all inner action.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"The colours of the lotuses and the numbers of petals are respectively, from bottom to top: — (1) the Muladhara or physical consciousness centre, four petals, red; (2) the abdominal centre, six petals, deep purple red; (3) the navel centre, ten petals, violet; (4) the heart centre, twelve petals, golden pink; (5) the throat centre, sixteen petals, grey; (6) the forehead centre between the eye-brows, two petals, white; (7) the thousand-petalled lotus above the head, blue with gold light around. The functions are, according to our yoga, — (1) commanding the physical consciousness and the subconscient; (2) commanding the small vital movements, the little greeds, lusts, desires, the small sense-movements; (3) commanding the larger life-forces and the passions and larger desire-movements; (4) commanding the higher emotional being with the psychic deep behind it; (5) commanding expression and all externalisation of the mind movements and mental forces; (6) commanding thought, will, vision; (7) commanding the higher thinking mind and the illumined mind and opening upwards to the intuition and overmind. The seventh is sometimes or by some identified with the brain, but that is an error — the brain is only a channel of communication situated between the thousand-petalled and the forehead centre. The former is sometimes called the void centre, sunya , either because it is not in the body, but in the apparent void above or because rising above the head one enters first into the silence of the self or spiritual being.” Letters on Yoga*
the condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends. **failure"s, failures, world-failure"s.
". . . the cosmic Force, masked as a material Energy, hides from our view by its insistent materiality of process the occult fact that the working of the Inconscient is really the expression of a vast universal Life, a veiled universal Mind, a hooded Gnosis, and without these origins of itself it could have no power of action, no organising coherence.” The Life Divine
::: "The efficacy of prayer is often doubted and prayer itself supposed to be a thing irrational and necessarily superfluous and ineffective. It is true that the universal will executes always its aim and cannot be deflected by egoistic propitiation and entreaty, it is true of the Transcendent who expresses himself in the universal order that being omniscient his larger knowledge must foresee the thing to be done and it does not need direction or stimulation by human thought and that the individual"s desires are not and cannot be in any world-order the true determining factor. But neither is that order or the execution of the universal will altogether effected by mechanical Law, but by powers and forces of which for human life at least human will, aspiration and faith are not among the least important.
::: "The first condition of inner progress is to recognise whatever is or has been a wrong movement in any part of the nature, — wrong idea, wrong feeling, wrong speech, wrong action, — and by wrong is meant what departs from the truth, from the higher consciousness and higher self, from the way of the Divine. Once recognised it is admitted, not glossed over or defended, — and it is offered to the Divine for the Light and Grace to descend and substitute for it the right movement of the true Consciousness.” *Letters on Yoga
::: "The greater the destruction, the freer the chances of creation; but the destruction is often long, slow and oppressive, the creation tardy in its coming or interrupted in its triumph. The night returns again and again and the day lingers or seems even to have been a false dawning. Despair not therefore, but watch and work. Those who hope violently, despair swiftly: neither hope nor fear, but be sure of God"s purpose and thy will to accomplish.” *Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
"The ideation of the gnosis is radiating light-stuff of the consciousness of the eternal Existence; each ray is a truth. The will in the gnosis is a conscious force of eternal knowledge; it throws the consciousness and substance of being into infallible forms of truth-power, forms that embody the idea and make it faultlessly effective, and it works out each truth-power and each truth-form spontaneously and rightly according to its nature. Because it carries this creative force of the divine Idea, the Sun, the lord and symbol of the gnosis, is described in the Veda as the Light which is the father of all things, Surya Savitri, the Wisdom-Luminous who is the bringer-out into manifest existence.” The Synthesis of Yoga*
The Ineffable: *Sri Aurobindo: "It is this essential indeterminability of the Absolute that translates itself into our consciousness through the fundamental negating positives of our spiritual experience, the immobile immutable Self, the Nirguna Brahman, the Eternal without qualities, the pure featureless One Existence, the Impersonal, the Silence void of activities, the Non-being, the Ineffable and the Unknowable. On the other side it is the essence and source of all determinations, and this dynamic essentiality manifests to us through the fundamental affirming positives in which the Absolute equally meets us; for it is the Self that becomes all things, the Saguna Brahman, the Eternal with infinite qualities, the One who is the Many, the infinite Person who is the source and foundation of all persons and personalities, the Lord of creation, the Word, the Master of all works and action; it is that which being known all is known: these affirmatives correspond to those negatives. For it is not possible in a supramental cognition to split asunder the two sides of the One Existence, — even to speak of them as sides is excessive, for they are in each other, their co-existence or one-existence is eternal and their powers sustaining each other found the self-manifestation of the Infinite.” The Life Divine
the Infinite ::: **A designation of the Deity or the absolute Being; God. Infinite"s. ::: *
::: The Mother: "Of all the aspects of the Mother, Kali most powerfully expresses vibrant and active love, and despite her sometimes terrible aspect, she carries in herself the golden splendour of an all-powerful love.” Words of the Mother, MCW Vol. 15*.
"The Non-Manifestation is not a Non-Existence. Non-Existence is a term created by the mind and has no absolute significance; there is no such thing as an absolute Nihil or Zero. It is agreed even by the philosophies of the Nihil, Tao or Zero (Sunya) that the Non-Existence of which they speak is a Nought in which all is and from which all comes. Tao, Nihil or Zero is not different from the Absolute or the Supreme Brahman of Vedanta; it is only another way of describing or naming it. The Supreme is an Existence beyond what we know of our existence and therefore only it can seem to our mind as a Zero, a Nihil, a Non-Existence.” Essays Divine and Human*
::: ". . . the Person puts forward the personality as his role, character, persona, in the present act of his long drama of manifested existence. But the Person is larger than his personality, and it may happen that this inner largeness overflows into the surface formation; the result is a self-expression of being which can no longer be described by fixed qualities, normalities of mood, exact lineaments, or marked out by any structural limits.” *The Life Divine
"There is no such thing as death, for it is the body that dies and the body is not the man. That which really is, cannot go out of existence, though it may change the forms through which it appears, just as that which is non-existent cannot come into being. The soul is and cannot cease to be. This opposition of is and is not, this balance of being and becoming which is the mind"s view of existence, finds its end in the realisation of the soul as the one imperishable self by whom all this universe has been extended. Finite bodies have an end, but that which possesses and uses the body, is infinite, illimitable, eternal, indestructible. It casts away old and takes up new bodies as a man changes worn-out raiment for new; and what is there in this to grieve at and recoil and shrink? This is not born, nor does it die, nor is it a thing that comes into being once and passing away will never come into being again. It is unborn, ancient, sempiternal; it is not slain with the slaying of the body. Who can slay the immortal spirit? Weapons cannot cleave it, nor the fire burn, nor do the waters drench it, nor the wind dry. Eternally stable, immobile, all-pervading, it is for ever and for ever. Not manifested like the body, but greater than all manifestation, not to be analysed by the thought, but greater than all mind, not capable of change and modification like the life and its organs and their objects, but beyond the changes of mind and life and body, it is yet the Reality which all these strive to figure.” Essays on the Gita
"The spiritual destiny always stands — it may be delayed or seem to be lost for a time, but it is never abolished.” Letters on Yoga
"The spiritual change is the established descent of the peace, light, knowledge, power, bliss from above, the awareness of the Self and the Divine and of a higher cosmic consciousness and the change of the whole consciousness to that.” Letters on Yoga
The spiritual man who can guide human life towards its perfection is typified in the ancient Indian idea of the Rishi, one who has lived fully the life of man and found the word of the supra-intellectual, supramental, spiritual truth. He has risen above these lower limitations and can view all things from above, but also he is in sympathy with their effort and can view them from within; he has the complete inner knowledge and the higher surpassing knowledge. Therefore he can guide the world humanly as God guides it divinely, because like the Divine he is in the life of the world and yet above it.” The Human Cycle*
"The sunlit path can only be followed if the psychic is constantly or usually in front or if one has a natural spirit of faith and surrender or a face turned habitually towards the sun or psychic predisposition (e.g. a faith in one"s spiritual destiny) or, if one has acquired the psychic turn. That does not mean that the sunlit man has no difficulties; he may have many, but he regards them cheerfully as all in the day's work''. If he gets a bad beating, he is capable of saying,Well, that was a queer go but the Divine is evidently in a queer mood and if that is his way of doing things, it must be the right one; I am surely a still queerer fellow myself and that, I suppose, was the only means of putting me right."" Letters on Yoga
"The vital is the. . . being behind the Force of Life; in its outer form in the Ignorance it generates the desire-soul which governs most men and which they mistake often for the real soul. ::: The vital as the desire-soul and desire-nature controls the consciousness to a large extent in most men, because men are governed by desire.” Letters on Yoga
"To me, for instance, consciousness is the very stuff of existence and I can feel it everywhere enveloping and penetrating the stone as much as man or the animal. A movement, a flow of consciousness is not to me an image but a fact. If I wrote "His anger climbed against me in a stream", it would be to the general reader a mere image, not something that was felt by me in a sensible experience; yet I would only be describing in exact terms what actually happened once, a stream of anger, a sensible and violent current of it rising up from downstairs and rushing upon me as I sat in the veranda of the Guest-House, the truth of it being confirmed afterwards by the confession of the person who had the movement. This is only one instance, but all that is spiritual or psychological in Savitri is of that character. What is to be done under these circumstances? The mystical poet can only describe what he has felt, seen in himself or others or in the world just as he has felt or seen it or experienced through exact vision, close contact or identity and leave it to the general reader to understand or not understand or misunderstand according to his capacity. A new kind of poetry demands a new mentality in the recipient as well as in the writer.” Letters on Savitri
"Vamana, the Dwarf, in Hindu mythology, one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu, born as a son of Kashyapa and Aditi. The titan King Bali had by his austerities acquired dominion of all the three worlds. To remedy this, Vishnu came to him in the form of a dwarf and begged of him as much land as he could step over in three paces. Bali complied. In two strides the dwarf covered heaven and earth, and with the third step, on Bali"s head, pushed him down to Patala, the infernal regions.” Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo"s Works
"We are ignorant also of the superconscient, that which we ordinarily call spirit or oversoul; yet this we find to be our highest and widest self, Sachchidananda creating and governing all that we are and become by His divine Maya.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga*
"We are not the body, but the body is still something of ourselves. With realisation the erroneous identification ceases — in certain experiences the existence of the body is not felt at all. In the full realisation the body is within us, not we in it, it is an instrumental formation in our wider being, — our consciousness exceeds but also pervades it, — it can be dissolved without our ceasing to be the self.” Letters on Yoga
"We see that the Absolute, the Self, the Divine, the Spirit, the Being is One; the Transcendental is one, the Cosmic is one: but we see also that beings are many and each has a self, a spirit, a like yet different nature. And since the spirit and essence of things is one, we are obliged to admit that all these many must be that One, and it follows that the One is or has become many; but how can the limited or relative be the Absolute and how can man or beast or bird be the Divine Being? But in erecting this apparent contradiction the mind makes a double error. It is thinking in the terms of the mathematical finite unit which is sole in limitation, the one which is less than two and can become two only by division and fragmentation or by addition and multiplication; but this is an infinite Oneness, it is the essential and infinite Oneness which can contain the hundred and the thousand and the million and billion and trillion. Whatever astronomic or more than astronomic figures you heap and multiply, they cannot overpass or exceed that Oneness; for, in the language of the Upanishad, it moves not, yet is always far in front when you would pursue and seize it. It can be said of it that it would not be the infinite Oneness if it were not capable of an infinite multiplicity; but that does not mean that the One is plural or can be limited or described as the sum of the Many: on the contrary, it can be the infinite Many because it exceeds all limitation or description by multiplicity and exceeds at the same time all limitation by finite conceptual oneness.” The Life Divine
::: "What do you call meditation? Shutting the eyes and concentrating? It is only one method for calling down the true consciousness. To join with the true consciousness or feel its descent is the only thing important and if it comes without the orthodox method, as it always did with me, so much the better. Meditation is only a means or device, the true movement is when even walking, working or speaking one is still in sadhana.” *Letters on Yoga
"What we have called specifically the Mind of Light is indeed the last of a series of descending planes of consciousness in which the Supermind veils itself by a self-chosen limitation or modification of its self-manifesting activities, but its essential character remains the same: there is in it an action of light, of truth, of knowledge in which inconscience, ignorance and error claim no place.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga*
"When the Peace is established, this higher or Divine Force from above can descend and work in us. It descends usually first into the head and liberates the inner mind centres, then into the heart centre and liberates fully the psychic and emotional being, then into the navel and other vital centres and liberates the inner vital, then into the Muladhara and below and liberates the inner physical being. It works at the same time for perfection as well as liberation; it takes up the whole nature part by part and deals with it, rejecting what has to be rejected, sublimating what has to be sublimated, creating what has to be created. It integrates, harmonises, establishes a new rhythm in the nature. It can bring down too a higher and yet higher force and range of the higher nature until, if that be the aim of the sadhana, it becomes possible to bring down the supramental force and existence. All this is prepared, assisted, farthered by the work of the psychic being in the heart centre; the more it is open, in front, active, the quicker, safer, easier the working of the Force can be. The more love and bhakti and surrender grow in the heart, the more rapid and perfect becomes the evolution of the sadhana. For the descent and transformation imply at the same time an increasing contact and union with the Divine.” Letters on Yoga
"When the Peace is established, this higher or Divine Force from above can descend and work in us. It descends usually first into the head and liberates the inner mind centres, then into the heart centre and liberates fully the psychic and emotional being, then into the navel and other vital centres and liberates the inner vital, then into the Muladhara and below and liberates the inner physical being. It works at the same time for perfection as well as liberation; it takes up the whole nature part by part and deals with it, rejecting what has to be rejected, sublimating what has to be sublimated, creating what has to be created.” Letters on Yoga
::: "Wherever thou seest a great end, be sure of a great beginning. Where a monstrous and painful destruction appals thy mind, console it with the certainty of a large and great creation. God is there not only in the still small voice, but in the fire and in the whirlwind.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
"Within us, there are two centres of the Purusha, the inner Soul through which he touches us to our awakening; there is the Purusha in the lotus of the heart which opens upward all our powers and the Purusha in the thousand-petalled lotus whence descend through the thought and will, opening the third eye in us, the lightnings of vision and the fire of the divine energy. The bliss existence may come to us through either one of these centres. When the lotus of the heart breaks open, we feel a divine joy, love and peace expanding in us like a flower of light which irradiates the whole being.” The Synthesis of Yoga
::: "Within us, there are two centres of the Purusha, the inner Soul through which he touches us to our awakening; there is the Purusha in the lotus of the heart which opens upward all our powers and the Purusha in the thousand-petalled lotus whence descend through the thought and will, opening the third eye in us, the lightnings of vision and the fire of the divine energy.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
KEYS (10k)
1 Sigmund Freud
1 Parmenides
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46 Anonymous
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17 Anton Wildgans
12 L E Modesitt Jr
12 Jeffrey Eugenides
11 Nadine Brandes
10 Rick Riordan
10 Rene Descartes
10 Horace
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8 Bree Despain
1:There is only one sadness, namely, not to be Saints [II n'y a qu'une tristesse, c'est de n'etre pas des Saints]. ~ Leon Bloy, La Femme Pauvre, #KEYS
2:By lie I mean : wishing not to see something that one does see; wishing not to see something as one sees it.
Whether the lie takes place before witnesses or without witnesses does not matter. The most common lie is that with which one lies to oneself; lying to others is, relatively, an exception.
Now this wishing-not-to-see what one does see, this wishing-not-to-see as one sees, is almost the first conclition for all who are party in any sense: of necessity, the party man becomes a liar. Gennan historiography, for example, is convinced that Rome represented des potism and that the Germanic tribes brought the spirit of freedom into the world. What is the difference be tween this conviction and a lie? May one still be sur· prised when all parties, as well as the Gennan his torians, instinctively employ the big words of morality, that morality almost continues to exist because the party man of every description needs it at every moment? "This is our conviction: we confess it before all the world, we live and die for it. Respect for all who have convictions!" I have heard that sort of thing even out of the mouths of anti-Semites. On the contrary, gentlemen! An anti-Semite certainly is not any more decent because he lies as a matter of principle. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, The Anti-Christ,#KEYS
*** WISDOM TROVE ***
1:Die Wunden des Geistes heilen, ohne dass Narben bleiben"... "The wounds of the spirit heal and leave no scars. ~ john-odonohue, @wisdomtrove 2:[T]he Famous Rules which the French call, Des Trois Unitez , or, The Three Unities, which ought to be observ'd in every Regular Play; namely, of Time, Place, and Action. ~ john-dryden, @wisdomtrove 3:I've still not written as well as I want to. I want to write so that the reader in Des Moines, Iowa, in Kowloon, China, in Cape Town, South Africa, can say, & 4:Look, you know i don't wanna come on ungrateful, but that warren report, you know as well as me, just didn't make it. You know, like they might as well have asked some banana salesman from des moines, who was up in toronto on the big day, if he saw anyone around looking suspicious/. ~ bob-dylan, @wisdomtrove 5:Il y a deux sortes d'esprits, l'un ge ome trique, et l'autre que l'on peut appeler de finesse. Le premier a des vues lentes, dures et inflexibles; mais le dernier a une souplesse de pense There are two kinds of mind, one mathematical, the other what one might call the intuitive. The first takes a slow, firm, inflexible view, but the latter has flexibility of thought. ~ blaise-pascal, @wisdomtrove *** NEWFULLDB 2.4M ***
1:Tod Des Vaters
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
2:Ballade Des Souris
~ Charles Cros,#NFDB
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~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
4:Le Robin Des Bois
~ Émile Nelligan,#NFDB
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~ Charles Cros,#NFDB
6:Des Menschen Seele
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
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~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
8:Gelöbnis Des Vaters
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
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~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
10:Rentrée Des Moines
~ Emile Verhaeren,#NFDB
11:Chanson Des Sculpteurs
~ Charles Cros,#NFDB
12:MANGE DES MUFFINS!" - Bast ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
13:Glück Des Alleinseins
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
14:Le Mont Des Oliviers
~ Alfred de Vigny,#NFDB
15:Le Regret Des Joujoux
~ Émile Nelligan,#NFDB
16:Lied Des Schmarotzers
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
17:Notre-Dame Des Neiges
~ Émile Nelligan,#NFDB
18:A La Gloire Des Cieux
~ Emile Verhaeren,#NFDB
19:Die Frau Des Alternden
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
20:Le Chasseur des solitudes). ~ Edmund Morris, #NFDB
21:Tous mes amis sont des mots. ~ Ga tan Soucy, #NFDB
22:Die Mutter Des Krüppels
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
23:Pensée Des Morts
~ Antoine-Marin Lemierre,#NFDB
24:Des par tous et tous par un. ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
25:Pour Nous Aimer Des Yeux
~ Emile Verhaeren,#NFDB
26:Selbstbildnis Des Dichters
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
27:I come Des Moines. Somebody had to. ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
28:Le Jeuden, des Dreugen, Au Frauden ~ Adolf Hitler, #NFDB
29:Ballade Des Mauvaises Personnes
~ Charles Cros,#NFDB
30:La Ballade Des Pendus
~ Antoine-Marin Lemierre,#NFDB
31:«Impuissance, puissance des autres» ~ Henri Michaux, #NFDB
32:Stimme Im Traume Des Künstlers
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
33:Be still my eternal groupie heart ~ Pamela Des Barres, #NFDB
34:I come from Des Moines. Someone had to. ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
35:On ne lit pas impunément des niaiseries ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
36:Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters. ~ Thucydides, #NFDB
37:I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to. ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
38:Le bonheur est la poésie des femmes. ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
39:Les livres sont des amis froids et sûrs. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
40:A Travers La Forêt Des Spontanéités…
~ Charles Cros,#NFDB
41:Kicked wide of the goal with such precision ~ Des Lynam, #NFDB
42:O Bestimmung des Menschen! ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, #NFDB
43:Depuis, elle pleurait des baignoires. ~ Katherine Pancol, #NFDB
44:Le malheur des uns fait le bonheur des autres. ~ Voltaire, #NFDB
45:Die Müdigkeit als das Mehr des weniger Ich. ~ Peter Handke, #NFDB
46:Die Rettung des Volkes liegt im Wodka. ~ Dmitry Glukhovsky, #NFDB
47:Vous, les hommes, vous êtes tous des lâches ~ Atiq Rahimi, #NFDB
48:Ardeur Des Sens, Ardeur Des Coeurs...
~ Emile Verhaeren,#NFDB
49:Das Schicksal des Menschen ist der Mensch. ~ Bertolt Brecht, #NFDB
50:Der verschlingener des Lebens’—‘The Devourer ~ Fritz Leiber, #NFDB
51:Des Trois Couleurs, Gris, Tanné Et Noir
~ Clement Marot,#NFDB
52:Il y a des gens qui paieraient pour se vendre ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
53:Je Suis Sorti Des Bosquets Du Sommeil
~ Emile Verhaeren,#NFDB
54:Les Baisers Morts Des Défuntes Années
~ Emile Verhaeren,#NFDB
55:Widmung In Ein Exemplar Des Kain&Quot;
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
56:Gewalt ist die letzte Zuflucht des Unfähigen. ~ Isaac Asimov, #NFDB
57:He's been breaking Olympic records like ninepins ~ Des Lynam, #NFDB
58:Pech ist heute nur noch die Würze des Glücks! ~ Hans Fallada, #NFDB
59:this siren totally popped a lady boner. Des ~ Laura Thalassa, #NFDB
60:Amiel écrirait que son âme émet des rayons noirs. ~ Andr Gide, #NFDB
61:Das Gesetz ist der Embryo des Terrors. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
62:¡Muere, pero no des un beso sin amor! ~ Nikolai Chernyshevsky, #NFDB
63:Nous sommes les escargots des sommets. (p. 18) ~ Erri De Luca, #NFDB
64:Sonnet (Je Sais Faire Des Vers Perpétuels)
~ Charles Cros,#NFDB
65:Alexandre Grothendieck : mort d'un génie des maths ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
66: La faveur est la grande divinité des Français. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
67:Tu es comme l’odeur des roses (…) tu ôtes l’appétit. ~ Colette, #NFDB
68:Faites des bêtises, mais faites-les avec enthousiasme ~ Colette, #NFDB
69:La Vision Du Grand Canal Royal Des Deux Mers
~ Charles Cros,#NFDB
70:Verträge bricht man um des Nutzens willen. ~ Niccol Machiavelli, #NFDB
71:à des résultats magnifiques par des voies étroites ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
72:Intensiv leben kann man nur auf Kosten des Ichs. ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
73:L’amour, c’est la salutation des anges aux astres. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
74:The average human has one breast and one testicle. ~ Des MacHale, #NFDB
75:Après l'amour, il n'y a plus que le sel des larmes. ~ Jo l Dicker, #NFDB
76:Des Welfischen Pfalzgrafen Heinrich Abendruhe
~ Eduard Duller,#NFDB
77:—Tu sèmes des syllabes pour récolter des étoiles ~ Julio Cort zar, #NFDB
78:Des Fleurs Fines Et Mousseuses Comme L'Écume
~ Emile Verhaeren,#NFDB
79:Ich bin eine Ratte unter dem Fußboden des Universums. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
80:Il y a des premiers baisers qui font basculer votre vie. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
81:Que la terre est petite à qui la voit des cieux! ~ Madeleine L Engle, #NFDB
82:Si Nos Coeurs Ont Brûlé En Des Jours Exaltants
~ Emile Verhaeren,#NFDB
83:Une cour des miracles dans un labyrinthe de luxe. ~ Pierre Assouline, #NFDB
84:Witzigkeit im Übermaß ist des Menschen größter Schatz. ~ J K Rowling, #NFDB
85:Exécute la vengeance des fils d'Israël sur les Madianites ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
86:Freiheit, ist immer die Freiheit des Andersdenkenden ~ Rosa Luxemburg, #NFDB
87:spectacle d’étrangers des plus bizarres et des plus ~ Herman Melville, #NFDB
88:Die Geschichte ist die wahre Naturgeschichte des Menschen. ~ Karl Marx, #NFDB
89:Die Philosophie des Hippolyte Taine. Dissertation, 1904 ~ Stefan Zweig, #NFDB
90:Il n'y a pas d'amour, il n'y a que des preuves d'amour. ~ Jean Cocteau, #NFDB
91:La pendule égrenait le chapelet infini des secondes. ~ Maurice Leblanc, #NFDB
92:...the prettiest girls in the world live in Des Moines. ~ Jack Kerouac, #NFDB
93:Wir nennen „Ursprünge“ die Grenzen des Wissens. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
94:Le conditionnel passé, le temps des opportunités manquées. ~ Celeste Ng, #NFDB
95:Mes bras sont rompus pour avoir étreint des nuées. ~ Charles Baudelaire, #NFDB
96:Ouvrez-Moi, Sincero, De Vos Pensers La Porte
~ Catherine Des Roches,#NFDB
97:An den Scheidewegen des Lebens stehen keine Wegweiser. ~ Charlie Chaplin, #NFDB
98:Il faut qu'il ait tué bien des gens pour s'être fait si riche. ~ Moli re, #NFDB
99:Laissez-vous mener. Nous n'avons plus l'âge des pourquoi. ~ Louis Aragon, #NFDB
100:Tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles. ~ Voltaire, #NFDB
101:A - Il n'y a pas de secrets
M - Il n'y a que des aveugles ~ Sarah Kane,#NFDB
102:Bouche Dont La Douceur M'Enchante Doucement...
~ Catherine Des Roches,#NFDB
103:Les corps des hommes ont des formes avares, internées. ~ Marguerite Duras, #NFDB
104:Ne cherchez plus mon cœur; des monstres l’ont mangé. ~ Charles Baudelaire, #NFDB
105:Ne goûte qu'au présent... le passé a l'odeur
des Morts. ~ Omar Khayy m,#NFDB
106:Si il y a des sorcières, cetta fille-là en est une. ~ Elena Mauli Shapiro, #NFDB
107:Vous sentez la forêt, avec un ruisseau et des petits lapins. ~ Boris Vian, #NFDB
108:C'est tellement mystérieux, le pays des larmes. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
109:Der Endzweck des Staates ist [...] im Grund die Freiheit. ~ Baruch Spinoza, #NFDB
110:J'aime la folle cruauté des chimères qu'on apprivoise. ~ Th ophile Gautier, #NFDB
111:Le bien-être de l'humanité est toujours l'alibi des tyrans. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
112:des papillons, tout étonnés de vivre, titubent dans l'air. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
113:le plus haut des tourments humains est d'être jugé sans loi. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
114:Wie sehr wollte ich sie vor dem Schmerz des Erinners bewahren. ~ Kate Mosse, #NFDB
115:Chesterfield 1, Chester 1. Another score draw in the local derby ~ Des Lynam, #NFDB
116:Göttin! Königin! Selbst Sklavin des Schicksals! ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, #NFDB
117:Il se trouvait prisonnier du passé, enchaîné par des ombres ! ~ Ren Barjavel, #NFDB
118:j'ai rêvé , l'autre nuit, que mon corps était des mots. ~ Abdelkebir Khatibi, #NFDB
119:Le métro relie des points algébriques, des lieux et des êtres. ~ Marc Aug, #NFDB
120:Les insultes d'une femme sont des fleurs pour un homme. ~ Mario Vargas Llosa, #NFDB
121:Loin d’êtres des élus, nous sommes maudits par les dieux. ~ Victoria Aveyard, #NFDB
122:Sonnet (Il Y A Des Moments Où Les Femmes Sont
Fleurs)
~ Charles Cros,#NFDB
123:Elle pleurait des mots qui se mélangeaient les uns aux autres. ~ Ren Barjavel, #NFDB
124:Et la mer efface sur le sable
Les pas des amants désunis ~ Jacques Pr vert,#NFDB
125:Il est des déceptions qui honorent celui qui les inspire. ~ Carlos Ruiz Zaf n, #NFDB
126:N'ayons pas peur des mots. Ils n'ont pas peur de nous. ~ Jean Claude Carri re, #NFDB
127:On ne se souvient pas des jours, on se souvient des instants. ~ Cesare Pavese, #NFDB
128:Où habitez vous ? - Dans le cœur des hommes, répondit Sullivan. ~ Don DeLillo, #NFDB
129:Que la terre est petite à qui la voit des cieux! Delille. ~ Madeleine L Engle, #NFDB
130:An Widerständen zeigt sich das Genie des Generals, Glück verhüllt es. ~ Horace, #NFDB
131:I will cover the walls with words. It will be la chambre des mots. ~ Ana s Nin, #NFDB
132:Le plus grand faible des hommes, c'est l'amour qu'ils ont de la vie. ~ Moli re, #NFDB
133:Ne sous-estimez jamais le plaisir, c’est le salaire des mortels ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
134:on doit des égards aux vivants, on ne doit aux morts que la vérité. ~ Voltaire, #NFDB
135:Sommer ist nur das uneingelöste Versprechen des Frühling. ~ F Scott Fitzgerald, #NFDB
136:beaucoup de ces honnêtes gens sont des criminels qui s’ignorent. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
137:It's a Renaissance, or put more simply, some you win, some you lose ~ Des Lynam, #NFDB
138:La vie consiste à tenir le coup entre la mort des êtres chers. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
139:On croit mourir pour la patrie ; on meurt pour des industriels ~ Anatole France, #NFDB
140:Quand on a deux corps, il vient des moments où l'on est à moitié. ~ Romain Gary, #NFDB
141:Quand on a deux corps, il vient des moments où l’on est à moitié. ~ Romain Gary, #NFDB
142:Betreffs des Mauls, da solltet Ihr das Eure vielleicht halten. ~ Frank Sch tzing, #NFDB
143:Il fait partie du courant dit des miglioristi, la " droite " du PCI. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
144:Im Gebirge des Wahnsinns gibt es kleine Plateaus der Vernunft. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
145:Les cabanes sont des lumignons accrochés au plafond de la nuit. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
146:Mais existent-ils, ces mots qui atténuent la haine des autres? ~ David Foenkinos, #NFDB
147:The 1643 Martyrologie des chevaliers (Martyrology of knights) ~ Kathryn Harrison, #NFDB
148:Il y a de l'eau dans ma bouche
et mes lèvres retiennent des flots. ~ Anonymous,#NFDB
149:Lo único que va a sanarte es el amor, siempre que le des cabida. ~ Isabel Allende, #NFDB
150:Peter Shilton conceded five, you don't get many of those to the dozen ~ Des Lynam, #NFDB
151:tendre des écrans entre soi et le monde n’a jamais rien arrangé. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
152:gerade mit den Veränderungen des Zimmers söhnte er sich sehr bald aus. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
153:Il n’y a pas de faits , mais seulement des interprétations . ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
154:Il n'y a pas des sots si incommodes que ceux ont de l'esprit. ~ Arthur Conan Doyle, #NFDB
155:La vie, c’est le mouvement, t’as pas fini de quitter des gens ~ Virginie Despentes, #NFDB
156:Tout petit prince a des ambassadeurs, Tout marquis veut avoir des pages. ~ Moli re, #NFDB
157:«Je veux que nos lois protègent nos enfants et non le lobby des armes», ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
158:La qualité des applaudissements importe bien davantage que leur nombre. ~ Andr Gide, #NFDB
159:Les français sont des italiens sont des français de mauvaise humeur. ~ Jean Cocteau, #NFDB
160:Si c’est ici le meilleur des mondes possibles, que sont donc les autres? ~ Voltaire, #NFDB
161:»Sprich nie vom Recht des Stärkeren. Du bist zu schwach dafür«, ~ Dmitry Glukhovsky, #NFDB
162:A Madrid, Podemos s'organise pour la bataille des élections législatives ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
163:Bien sûr, je ne conçois pas que des gens vivent à Paris pour leur plaisir. ~ Colette, #NFDB
164:[D]er Wille des Mannes ließ ihn die ganze Schwäche des Knaben fühlen. ~ Robert Musil, #NFDB
165:Le mieux est d'éviter de nouer des relations.
Car rien ne dure. ~ David Foenkinos,#NFDB
166:lern' erst die Tiefe des Abgrunds kennen, eh du hineinspringst! ~ Friedrich Schiller, #NFDB
167:Les toutes grandes personnes ont d'abord été des enfants. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
168:notre personnalité sociale est une création de la pensée des autres. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
169:On se fait des maximes pour combler les trous de notre propre nature. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
170:Qui sait déguster ne boit plus jamais de vin, mais goûte des secrets ~ Salvador Dali, #NFDB
171:Toutes les grandes personnes ont d'abord été des enfants. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
172:Aux âmes bien nées, La valeur n’attend point le nombre des années. ~ Pierre Corneille, #NFDB
173:Der Ausgang des Menschen aus seiner selbstverschuldeten Unmündigkeit. ~ Immanuel Kant, #NFDB
174:Der Pessimismus der Vernunft verpflichtet zum Optimismus des Willens! ~ Stanis aw Lem, #NFDB
175:Dieses ist das erste Vorgefühl des Ewigen: Zeit haben zur Liebe. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke, #NFDB
176:Lesen heißt mit einem fremden Kopfe, statt des eigenen, denken. ~ Arthur Schopenhauer, #NFDB
177:N'hésitez jamais à ouvrir des nouvelles fenêtres dans votre vie. ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
178:Savoir qu'il existe des passions et ne pas les ressentir, c'est affreux. ~ Boris Vian, #NFDB
179:Das Leben war Handeln, es gab keinen Frieden diesseits des Grabes. ~ Christopher Moore, #NFDB
180:Je viens des regrets, je vais vers le rêve et je suis là par hasard. ~ Maxence Fermine, #NFDB
181:La nuit fait des distributions d'essence stellaire aux fleurs endormies. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
182:Lorsqu’un adulte entre dans le monde des fables il ne peut plus en sortir ~ Hugo Pratt, #NFDB
183:Mes pensées sont des étoiles qui ne veulent plus former de constellation. ~ John Green, #NFDB
184:Naitre des memes parents, c'est comme passer la nuit dans une meme chambre ~ Mariama B, #NFDB
185:Désillusionnée avant l'âge, je dégueule sur la facticité des sentiments. ~ Lolita Pille, #NFDB
186:Dresser des listes est l'une des plus anciennes activités du poète. ~ Jorge Luis Borges, #NFDB
187:Il y a des illusions touchantes qui sont peut-être des réalités sublimes. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
188:La guerre, c'est la guerre des hommes; la paix c'est la guerre des idées. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
189:Le geai pare des plumes du paon. A bluejay in peacock feathers. ~ Jean de La Fontaine, #NFDB
190:Prolog Zu Thaddäus Rittners Komödie „die Tragödie
Des Eumenes'
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
191:Tout ça c'est des regrets qui ne font pas bouillir la marmite. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
192:Au fond des prisons, le rêve est sans limites, la réalité ne freine rien. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
193:Destul de des, omul e un fel de romancier ratat al propriei sale vieţi. ~ Octavian Paler, #NFDB
194:L'apparence compte, pour la plupart des gens. Telle est la réalité du monde ~ Alex Flinn, #NFDB
195:Le plus monstrueux des monstres est le monstre à nobles sentiments. ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky, #NFDB
196:On regarde souvent comme des fous les hommes de passion et les visionnaires ~ Robin Hobb, #NFDB
197:Any good groupie loves the music so much it's part of the bloodstream ~ Pamela Des Barres, #NFDB
198:C'est comme si l'on brûlait des diamants pour cuire une pomme. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
199:Civilizations are not made “avec des idées” but with good manners. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
200:Das Gewissen des Volkes steckt nicht unbedingt im Kopf des Staates. ~ Stanis aw Jerzy Lec, #NFDB
201:des larmes plutôt gémies que pleurées, une douleur parlée plutôt que sentie ~ George Sand, #NFDB
202:Die Welt des Glücklichen ist eine andere als die des Unglücklichen. ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein, #NFDB
203:La revue a été faite par des praticiens, avant d’être des théoriciens. ~ Philippe Sollers, #NFDB
204:Le plus médiocre des mâles se croit en face des femmes un demi-dieu. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
205:Rassemblons des faits pour nous donner des idées. ~ Georges Louis Leclerc Comte de Buffon, #NFDB
206:Car il est des choses qui font ouvrir les yeux aux mortes dans leur tombeau. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
207:Car, pour les vaniteux, les autres hommes sont des admirateurs. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
208:Das Ziel des Weisen ist nicht Glück zu erlangen, sondern Unglück zu vermeiden. ~ Aristotle, #NFDB
209:L'intérêt, qui aveugle les uns, fait la lumière des autres. ~ Fran ois de La Rochefoucauld, #NFDB
210:Macht ist nur die leere Erhöhung des eigenen Willens über den Willen anderer. ~ Mario Puzo, #NFDB
211:Mais on passe ses journées sans difficultés aussitôt qu’on a des habitudes. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
212:Nous sommes bien davantage que la somme des parties qui nous composent, ~ Patrick Rothfuss, #NFDB
213:Dans le « programme des examens » les choses ne se passent pas comme dans la vie. ~ Colette, #NFDB
214:des larmes plutôt gémies que pleurées, une douleur parlée plutôt que sentie ; ~ George Sand, #NFDB
215:I'm from the US of A. Born in Des Moines, raised in the New York suburbs. ~ Stephen Collins, #NFDB
216:J'ai toujours preferé la folie des passions à la sagesse de l'indifférence ~ Anatole France, #NFDB
217:La vie n'est ni un jeu ni un match, sinon il y aurait des gagnants. ~ ric Emmanuel Schmitt, #NFDB
218:war, bis hin zum unmittelbar darauf folgenden Blutbad des Aufstandes in Indien. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
219:A l'école, nous jouions à un jeu appelé sherganji, la bataille des poèmes. ~ Khaled Hosseini, #NFDB
220:Dans les yeux des gens, on vois ce qu'ils verront, pas ce qu'ils ont vu ~ Alessandro Baricco, #NFDB
221:Elle voulait autre chose. Des mains qui se touchent sans rien donner. ~ Timoth e de Fombelle, #NFDB
222:J'ai toujours préféré la folie des passions à la sagesse de l'indifférence. ~ Anatole France, #NFDB
223:Kannst du verhindern, daß unsere Köpfe sich auf dem Boden des Korbes küssen? ~ Georg B chner, #NFDB
224:La profusion des choses cachait la rareté des idées et l'usure des croyances. ~ Annie Ernaux, #NFDB
225:Plus je lis, plus je constate que le dictionnaire constitue le livre des livres. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
226:Un homme qui ne sait que faire de son temps envahit toujours celui des autres. ~ Jane Austen, #NFDB
227:C'est des hommes et d'eux seulement qu'il faut avoir peur, toujours. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
228:Die Nüchternheit des Morgens ist nur eine negative Trunkenheit. ~ Jean Paul Friedrich Richter, #NFDB
229:et les anciens sages instruisaient leurs disciples sur le bord des précipices... ~ Ren Daumal, #NFDB
230:Les hommes les plus sains d'esprits ne sont que des fous tranquilles. ~ Paco Ignacio Taibo II, #NFDB
231:Mais, enfin, les Anglais ont des idées à eux, en amitié, en amour, en tout. ~ Charlotte Bront, #NFDB
232:Seul le malheur procure une vision large et profonde des réalités de ce monde. ~ Stefan Zweig, #NFDB
233:J'ai commencé ma vie comme je la finirai sans doute : au milieu des livres. ~ Jean Paul Sartre, #NFDB
234:Je dois sans cesse m'adapter à des problèmes différents. Je suis un caméléon camé. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
235:Obwohl uns die Physikalität des Todes zerstört, rettet uns die Idee des Todes. ~ Irvin D Yalom, #NFDB
236:Seul l’Océan dispose des moyens vocaux qu’il faut pour parler au nom de l’homme. ~ Romain Gary, #NFDB
237:Er war jetzt ein Wesen der Wände und Zimmer, ein Sklave des Essens [...]. ~ T Coraghessan Boyle, #NFDB
238:Ich wandle in der Finsternis.
Doch mich leitet der Duft des Ginsters. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila,#NFDB
239:Il y a des maladies extravagantes.
Qui consistent à vouloir ce que l'on n'a pas. ~ Andr Gide,#NFDB
240:La seule fréquentation des mathématiques ne mûrit guère le cœur ni le caractère. ~ Ren Barjavel, #NFDB
241:Le nombre de mauvais romans ne doit pas faire oublier la grandeur des meilleurs. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
242:Or l'insécurité ne fait que mettre des bornes à ta perception de la galaxie. ~ Ta Nehisi Coates, #NFDB
243:Si aimer le Prophète et sa famille c’est être un chiite, alors je suis le premier des chiites ~, #NFDB
244:y a des Benvenuto Cellini au bagne, de même que dans la langue il y a des Villon. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
245:C'est le destin de la ruse que de paraître trop simple à des savants trop naïfs ~ Gilles Deleuze, #NFDB
246:C’est que l’on a souvent pour ennemis des gens qu’on voudrait avoir pour amis. ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
247:cinema is to the art of telling stories [Tart des histoires] what truth is to lying. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
248:Il n'est qu'un luxe véritable, et c'est celui des relations humaines. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
249:La symbolique est indissociable de la poésie, comme le rhum l’est des pirates. ~ Haruki Murakami, #NFDB
250:Les livres sont des miroirs, et l'on n'y voit que ce qu'on porte en soi-même ~ Carlos Ruiz Zaf n, #NFDB
251:Un des rares avantages du célibat est de ne pas avoir à souffrir de scènes de ménage ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
252:„Wenn wir alle wahnsinnig sind, dann wird aller Wahnsinn eine Frage des Ausmaßes. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
253:Der veraltete Konformismus ist das Ärgernis des herrschenden Konformismus. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
254:Des Elends voll ist dieses Leben und ungewiß ist die Stunde des Todes. ~ Saint Augustine of Hippo, #NFDB
255:Si tu n'arrives pas à le dire avec des mots,n'en parle pas: ce n'est pas grave... ~ Yasushi Inoue, #NFDB
256:Und zuletzt, des Lichts begierig,
Bist du Schmetterling verbrannt ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,#NFDB
257:135. On est quelquefois aussi différent de soi-même que des autres. ~ Fran ois de La Rochefoucauld, #NFDB
258:Aimer lire, c'est faire un échange des heures d'ennui contre des heures délicieuses. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
259:C'est une étrange prétention des hommes de vouloir que l'amour conduise quelque part ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
260:Die Technik erfüllt nicht die alten Träume des Menschen, sie äfft sie nach. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
261:-En fait, tu te donnes des airs comme ça mais t'es un gentil, toi...
-Ta gueule. ~ Anna Gavalda,#NFDB
262:La mort, commencement des choses éternelles, n'est que la fin des soucis terrestres. ~ Jules Verne, #NFDB
263:Lernen Sie ernst nehmen, was des Ernstnehmens wert ist, und lachen über das andre! ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
264:Aucune folie n’est assez profonde pour vous exclure de la communauté des fumeurs. ~ Patrick McGrath, #NFDB
265:Ce lui qui nage au milieu des flots ne se rend pas compte de l’immensité de la mer ~ Takehiko Inoue, #NFDB
266:Grau, teurer Freund, ist alle Theorie und grün des Lebens goldner Baum ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, #NFDB
267:If you ask why enough times, eventually you'll work it out and get to the root cause. ~ Des Traynor, #NFDB
268:Je sais fort bien que je ne suis qu'une machine à faire des livres. ~ Fran ois Ren de Chateaubriand, #NFDB
269:Pourquoi croise-t-on des milliers de personnes et ne s'éprend-on que d'une seule? ~ Guillaume Musso, #NFDB
270:Sie schwebt ständig in Wolken des Unverständnisses durch meinen Grammatik-Grundkurs. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
271:César avait appris de l'existence à souffrir la vie et des romans à s'en échapper ~ Alexandre Jardin, #NFDB
272:..elle était si belle...de cette beauté à mettre des points de suspension partout. ~ David Foenkinos, #NFDB
273:Grausam und erbarmungslos rollen sie dahin, die Stahlgürtelreifen des Schicksals ~ Christopher Moore, #NFDB
274:La futilité des préoccupations mondaines leur apparaissait dans toute son évidence. ~ Dilgo Khyentse, #NFDB
275:il n'y a pas de justes mais des maîtres méchants qui font régner la vérité implacable. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
276:L'amour c'est l'infini mis à la portée des caniches et j'ai ma dignité moi ! ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
277:La principale influence que subit notre comportement provient de l’observation des autres ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
278:Les asiles d'aliénés sont des réceptacles de magies noire, conscients et prémédités. ~ Antonin Artaud, #NFDB
279:por mucho impulso que te des, por muy alto que llegues, no puedes dar una vuelta entera. ~ John Green, #NFDB
280:Und dann setzte sich die Vernunft des Körpers gegen die Dummheit des Gehirns durch. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
281:Der Blick, des Forschers fand nicht selten mehr, als er zu finden wünschte. ~ Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, #NFDB
282:Der Gewissensbiss ist, wie der Biss des Hundes gegen einen Stein, eine Dummheit. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
283:Elle était la reine des Sanglots, et dans ses profondeurs, jamais elle ne se noierait. ~ Leigh Bardugo, #NFDB
284:Il n’y a rien de tel pour épier les actions des gens que ceux qu’elles ne regardent pas. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
285:J'écrivais des silences, des nuits, je notais l'inexprimable. Je fixais des vertiges. ~ Arthur Rimbaud, #NFDB
286:Les grands périls ont cela de beau qu'ils mettent en lumière la fraternité des inconnus. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
287:«Los gusanos nunca están satisfechos, no importa la cantidad de comida que les des», ~ Steven D Levitt, #NFDB
288:Un artiste est par définition un homme habitué au rêve et qui vit parmi des fantômes. ~ Claude Debussy, #NFDB
289:Des figured he must have PMS—penis malfunction syndrome. Because he was acting like a dick. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
290:Ils avaient des culottes spéciales, à braguettes en arrière, difficiles à fermer tout seul. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
291:Ils avaient fui les perils de la conversation pour le terrain plus rassurant des livres. ~ Stefan Zweig, #NFDB
292:Imagination ist alles. Es ist die vorschau des lebens auf die kommenden attraktionen. ~ Albert Einstein, #NFDB
293:pour les rois, le monde est très simplifié. Tous les hommes sont des sujets. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
294:La bonté est une graine qui produit toujours des fruits, mais il faut savoir semer cette graine. ~ Saadi, #NFDB
295:La sagesse procurait rarement des réponses, elle se contentait de redéfinir les questions. ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
296:La vie psychique est un champ de bataille et une arène où luttent des tendances opposées ~ Sigmund Freud, #NFDB
297:Les enfants sont des créatures extraordinaires, quand ils ne sont pas simplement chiants. ~ Vernor Vinge, #NFDB
298:L’éxactitude est la politesse des rois” (Punctuality is the good manners of kings). That ~ Jacques P pin, #NFDB
299:Quelle que soit l'ampleur des dégâts, aucun cataclysme n'empêchera la Terre de tourner. ~ Yasmina Khadra, #NFDB
300:Dieu se rit des hommes qui déplorent les effets dont ils chérissent les causes. ~ Jacques B nigne Bossuet, #NFDB
301:—Le plus beau des autels, disait-il, c'est l'âme d'un malheureux consolé qui remercie Dieu. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
302:On nous veut avec les stigmates des grandes écoles, je le veux avec les stigmates de la vie. ~ Jean Giono, #NFDB
303:Parfois des ivrognes notoires se rachetaient par un beau jardin cultivé entre deux cuites. ~ Annie Ernaux, #NFDB
304:pas très sûre de ce que j'étais. Optimiste ? Pessimiste ? Aucun des deux. Juste une imbécile. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
305:pour les rois, le monde est très simplifié.
Tous les hommes sont des sujets ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
306:Avec ma main brûlée j'ai le droit maintenant d'écrire des phrases sur la nature du feu. ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
307:Avoir des mètres carrés autour de soi et une nuit entière devant soi, c’est formidable ! ~ Fran oise Sagan, #NFDB
308:Ce qu'il y a de bien avec les traditions, c'est qu'elles conservent la force des souvenirs. ~ Ava Dellaira, #NFDB
309:Das Unmoralische gewinnt sein himmlisches Recht als eine drastische Kritik des Moralischen! ~ Robert Musil, #NFDB
310:Exige beaucoup de toi-même et attend peu des autres.
Beaucoup d'ennuis te seront épargnés. ~ Confucius,#NFDB
311:Je croyais voir des choses invisibles aux yeux des autres, j'étais encore plus aveugle qu'eux. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
312:Les banlieues tristes des dimanches et les lignes d'intérêt local sont un triste décor ~ Philippe Soupault, #NFDB
313:Mais, bien sûr, nous qui comprenons la vie, nous nous moquons bien des numéros! ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
314:Mais, bien sûr, nous qui comprenons la vie, nous nous moquons bien des numéros. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
315:On s’habitue aux défauts des autres quand on ne croit pas de son devoir de les corriger. ~ Fran oise Sagan, #NFDB
316:Schöpft des Dichters reine Hand,. Wasser wird sich ballen. Lied und Gebilde ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, #NFDB
317:So I rushed past the pretty girls, and the prettiest girls in the world live in Des Moines. ~ Jack Kerouac, #NFDB
318:Toute mort est l'occasion d'un renouveau : du cadavre sortent des fleurs violentes. ~ Henry de Montherlant, #NFDB
319:Cela ne se remarque pas, mais il est hors de lui. Il y a des gens chez qui ça ne se voit pas. ~ Fred Vargas, #NFDB
320:Geduld ist die Mutter der Wissenschaft", entgegnete sie. "Und die Patin des Wahnsinns". ~ Carlos Ruiz Zaf n, #NFDB
321:La justice élève sa voix; mais elle a peine à se faire entendre dans le tumulte des passions. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
322:Là où il y a un troupeau d'agneaux, finissent toujours par apparître des loups affamés. ~ Carlos Ruiz Zaf n, #NFDB
323:Les livres que j'aimais devinrent une Bible où je puisais des conseils et des secours. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
324:Nun war er also endgültig in einer Welt der Magie und des finsteren Zaubers gestrandet. ~ Wolfgang Hohlbein, #NFDB
325:Une œuvre où il y a des théories est comme un objet sur lequel on laisse la marque du prix. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
326: As-tu bien réfléchi à l'état barbare et malheureux où nous entraînerait la perte des arts ? ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
327:Ceux qui peuvent vous faire croire en des absurdités pourront vous faire commettre des atrocités. ~ Voltaire, #NFDB
328:In den Tiefen des Winters erfuhr ich schließlich, dass in mir ein unbesiegbarer Sommer liegt. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
329:In der Liebe können wir die Leiden des anderen ebenso wenig teilen wie unsere eigenen heilen. ~ Mathias nard, #NFDB
330:Je ne me réveille jamais entier ; des parts de moi restent engluées dans le sommeil. ~ ric Emmanuel Schmitt, #NFDB
331:Présente je vous fuis; absente, je vous trouve;
Dans le fond des forêts votre image me suit ~ Jean Racine,#NFDB
332:Telle est la vie des hommes. Quelques joies, très vite effacées par d'inoubliables chagrins. ~ Marcel Pagnol, #NFDB
333:41 Ceux qui s'appliquent trop aux petites choses deviennent ordinairement incapables des grandes. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
334:Comme des Garcons is a gift to oneself, not something to appeal or to attract the opposite sex ~ Rei Kawakubo, #NFDB
335:Cuando te des cuenta de la diferencia entre el contenedor y el contenido, tendrás conocimiento. ~ Idries Shah, #NFDB
336:Die reise der sonne und des mondes ist vorhersehbar, aber ihre reise ist Ihre ultimative kunst. ~ Suzy Kassem, #NFDB
337:Il est plus facile de se faire des ennemis que des amis, mais ces derniers sont plus utiles. Le ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
338:Parfois, le cœur se serre à la pensée des choses qui auraient pu être et qui n'ont pas été. ~ Patrick Modiano, #NFDB
339:Tant de choses essentielles au bonheur n’ont rien à voir avec des transactions économiques. ~ Matthieu Ricard, #NFDB
340:Tu n'avais eu longtemps pour ta distraction que la douceur des couchers du soleil. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
341:Dans les églises, à la clarté des cierges, un homme boit du vin devant des femmes à genoux. ~ Jean Paul Sartre, #NFDB
342:Kultur ist das, was den Alten gelingt, vor dem Angriff des jungen Idealisten zu retten. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
343:Le poisson rouge ne peut ramener la complexité des océans à la quiétude de son bocal. (p.185) ~ Yasmina Khadra, #NFDB
344:Les gens sont prompts à emprunter ou à faire des éloges qu'à acheter, ce qui ne me surprend pas. ~ Jane Austen, #NFDB
345:Tout ce que l'on croit savoir sur la réalité, ce ne sont que des étiquettes qui la figent. ~ Alexandre Jollien, #NFDB
346:Zu spät nahm sein Eheradar eine gewisse Kühle auf der anderen Seite des Gewürzständers wahr. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
347:Comment vous y prendre pour débarrasser la Terre des humains ? Faites-nous perdre toute humanité. ~ Rick Yancey, #NFDB
348:Cuando te des cuenta de la diferencia entre el contenedor y el contenido, tendrás el conocimiento ~ Idries Shah, #NFDB
349:Dieu, jamais rassasié de la prière des hommes, est un sacré passe-temps. Moi? J'ai l'écriture. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
350:La politique au milieu des intérêts d'imagination, c'est un coup de pistolet au milieu d'un concert. ~ Stendhal, #NFDB
351:Les boutiques de fleuristes n'ont jamais de rideau de fer. Personne ne cherche à voler des fleurs. ~ Boris Vian, #NFDB
352:Ma propre vie ne me préoccupait plus : je pouvais de nouveau penser au reste des hommes. ~ Marguerite Yourcenar, #NFDB
353:Todo importa. Lo que uno hace afecta a los demás, aunque no te des cuenta hasta mucho después ~ Jennifer Ashley, #NFDB
354:Ce qui m'effraie, ce n'est pas l'oppression des méchants; c'est l'indifférence des bons. ~ Martin Luther King Jr, #NFDB
355:Cuando te des cuenta de la diferencia entre el contenedor y el contenido, tendrás el conocimiento. ~ Idries Shah, #NFDB
356:Das Lächeln blieb, aber der Rest des Gesichts wollte plötzlich nichts mehr damit zu tun haben. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
357:im Reinen und in Rechten / will ich menschlichen Geschlechten / In des Ursprungs Tiefe dringen». ~ Edward W Said, #NFDB
358:La loyauté de chacun d'eux —dont personne ne doutait— serait garantie par la présence des autres. ~ Ren Barjavel, #NFDB
359:La lumière des torches ressemble à la sagesse des lâches; elle éclaire mal, parce qu'elle tremble. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
360:Les gens qui ont besoin de plus qu une valise ne sont pas de vrais voyageurs, ce sont des touristes. ~ Ira Levin, #NFDB
361:- Qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie, vous? – J’apprends des choses, dit Colin. Et j’aime Chloé. ~ Boris Vian, #NFDB
362:au milieu des fléaux, qu'il y a dans les hommes plus de choses à admirer que de choses à mépriser. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
363:Ce n’est pas possible d’éplucher des pommes de terre et de gratter des carottes en combinaison. ~ Georges Simenon, #NFDB
364:Ein kleiner Teil des Lebens nur ist wahres Leben, der ganze übrige Teil ist nicht Leben, ist blosse Zeit ~ Seneca, #NFDB
365:Il y'a des choses qui sont plus fortes que l'individu chez qui on les rencontre ou qui les porte ~ Hannah Arendt, #NFDB
366:La poésie n'est pas une tradition, c'est un rêve primitif, c'est l'éveil des images premières. ~ Gaston Bachelard, #NFDB
367:Au seuil de la science est assis ce principe : Rien n’est sorti de rien. Rien n’est l’œuvre des dieux. ~ Lucretius, #NFDB
368:Et pierre parmi les pierres, il retourna dans la joie de son coeur à la vérité des mondes immobiles ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
369:Ich schätze, am Ende des Tages wird jeder von uns zum Hund eines anderen«, erwiderte er unsicher ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
370:Il est ce qui échappe à l'activité des hommes, à la reconsidération et à la correction de leur œuvre. ~ Guy Debord, #NFDB
371:J'aurais pu adhérer au Front National, mais à quoi bon manger de la choucroute avec des cons? ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
372:La nuit avait les coudes posés sur l'eau où ricochaientles fragiles échardes des étoiles filantes. ~ Arundhati Roy, #NFDB
373:Ma vision de l'avenir est si précise que, si j'avais des enfants, je les étranglerais sur l'heure. ~ Emil M Cioran, #NFDB
374:Mon cœur au chaud, ce lapin, derrière sa petite grille des côtes, agité, blotti, stupide. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
375:Ne pensez-vous pas qu’il y a des choses qui, même si vous ne les comprenez pas, existent cependant ? ~ Bram Stoker, #NFDB
376:Oh, mon Dieu, Alexia, mais te rends-tu comptes [...] que c'est en Italie qu'on trouve des Italiens ~ Gail Carriger, #NFDB
377:Si nous n'avions point d'orgueil, nous ne nous plaindrions pas de celui des autres. ~ Fran ois de La Rochefoucauld, #NFDB
378:Die Staatsform muss ein durchsichtiges Gewand sein, das sich dicht an den Leib des Volkes schmiegt. ~ Georg B chner, #NFDB
379:Ein guter Mensch in seinem dunklen Drange
Ist sich des rechten Weges wohl bewusst. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,#NFDB
380:La prochaine étape de l'évolution humaine consistera à nous libérer des chaînes de l'évolution. ~ Danielle Tremblay, #NFDB
381:Les gens sont plus prompts à emprunter ou à faire des éloges qu'à acheter, ce qui ne me surprend pas. ~ Jane Austen, #NFDB
382:- Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie, vous? demanda le professeur.
- J'apprends des choses (...) ~ Boris Vian,#NFDB
383:And Brighton have beaten Southampton 4-2 which is exactly the same result as last year when they won 3-1 ~ Des Lynam, #NFDB
384:Au diable la reconnaissance si elle est dispensée par des gens qui ne t'arrivent pas à la cheville. ~ Yasmina Khadra, #NFDB
385:Die Ermüdbarkeit des Menschen steht in umgekehrtem Verhältnis zu seinen wirklichen Interessen. ~ Heimito von Doderer, #NFDB
386:Die Ohnmacht des Einzelnen ist vielleicht die gefährlichste Illusion, die ein Mensch haben kann. ~ Joseph Weizenbaum, #NFDB
387:Elle porte de grosse chaussures tristes - des sandales de nonne -, idéales pour écraser les rêves. ~ Mathias Malzieu, #NFDB
388:Je suis jeune, il est vrai mais aux âmes bien nées
La valeur n'attend pas le nombre des années ~ Pierre Corneille,#NFDB
389:Philosophie, die Liebe zur Wahrheit, ist im tiefsten Grunde die Abwehr des Unbegreiflichen. ~ Oswald Spengler, #NFDB
390:Comme la plupart des hommes peu intelligents et de muscles développés, il est d’une grande timidité. ~ Octave Mirbeau, #NFDB
391:Glaube mir, man kann das für Stärke des Geistes halten, was doch am Ende Verzweiflung ist [...]. ~ Friedrich Schiller, #NFDB
392:Le plus grand luxe aujourd’hui, c’est pouvoir prendre son temps. La société vole le temps des gens. ~ Fran oise Sagan, #NFDB
393:Les paroles d'amour, qui sont toujours les mêmes, prennent le goût des lèvres dont elles sortent. ~ Guy de Maupassant, #NFDB
394:première et légère esquisse du chagrin que cause une séparation et des progrès irréguliers de l'oubli ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
395:Si tu as l'intention de juger les actes des dieux, Walliesmith, tu dois savoir ce que les dieux savent. ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
396:Des said reluctantly at last, Pray to your god. He’s the only other one in here besides us. Pen ~ Lois McMaster Bujold, #NFDB
397:Die Unfehlbarkeit des Papstes gilt für die Glaubenslehre. Nicht für die Ernennungen.” [von Kardinälen] ~ Robert Harris, #NFDB
398:Il est des soirs de printemps dont le crépuscule outrepasse les limites que lui prescrit l'astronomie. ~ Hermann Broch, #NFDB
399:L’HISTOIRE COMPLETE DES OVNIS ALLEMANDS ET LE COVER UP AMERICAIN Explosif! ~ Jean Maximillien De La Croix de Lafayette, #NFDB
400:l'immense majorité des meurtriers ne savaient pas, en se rasant le matin, qu'ils allaient tuer le soir. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
401:»Machen wir doch ein bisschen Licht«, sagte die Stimme des Mannes in Schwarz lässig, und es ward Licht. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
402:Nous vivons avec des idées qui, si nous les éprouvions vraiment, devraient bouleverser toute notre vie. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
403:...on n'est pas forcément du pays où l'on est né. Il y a des grains que le vent aime semer ailleurs. ~ Dany Laferri re, #NFDB
404:Or si le "pirate" lèse matériellement l'auteur, moralement il lui donne la plus belle des couronnes. ~ Michel Tournier, #NFDB
405:pas bon, celui-là, maman. Du saumon d’élevage gueule contre cul à bouffer les crottes des autres ». ~ Katherine Pancol, #NFDB
406:Qui donc, sur la tête, me donne des coups de barre de fer, comme un marteau frappant l'enclume? ~ Comte de Lautr amont, #NFDB
407:Alle Stammesmythen sind wahr, wobei die Bedeutung des Wortes »wahr« gewissen Schwankungen unterliegt. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
408:et quant aux silences, comment raconter des silences au moyen de mots ? Seule la poésie pourrait le faire. ~ Ren Daumal, #NFDB
409:Il est contre le bon sens de mettre une enveloppe précieuse à des choses de néant ou de peu de valeur. ~ Baruch Spinoza, #NFDB
410:Il ne faut pas désespérer les imbéciles, avec un peu d'entraînement on peut en faire des militaires. ~ Pierre Desproges, #NFDB
411:Il y a parfois du côté de l’ombre des vérités tout aussi intéressantes que du côté de la lumière. ~ Maurice Maeterlinck, #NFDB
412:Mina drömmar om kärleken - des tycktes mig en gång att de voro så nära, så nära att bli verklighet. ~ Hjalmar S derberg, #NFDB
413:ÖDIPUS. Wie packt mich, da ich eben dich gehört hab, Frau, der Seele Irrlauf und Erschütterung des Geistes! ~ Sophocles, #NFDB
414:Tout comme il existe des coups de foudre en amour, il y a quelques fois des coups de foudre en amitié ~ Guillaume Musso, #NFDB
415:Dans la stupidité il est un sérieux qui, mieux orienté, pourrait multiplier la somme des chefs-d'oeuvre. ~ Emil M Cioran, #NFDB
416:Et, malgré bien des chocs et d'imprévus désastres,
Nous nous sommes souvent ennuyés, comme ici. ~ Charles Baudelaire,#NFDB
417:Il est des épreuves que l'on ne surmonte jamais vraiment ..
Mais auxquelles on survit, malgré tout. ~ Guillaume Musso,#NFDB
418:Les arbres poussaient en silence et le règne animal limitait sa présence à des actes obscurs et muets. ~ Raymond Queneau, #NFDB
419:Mias Lächeln machte sich über das Grinsen des Schankwirts her und erdrosselte es ganz gemächlich. (S. 54) ~ Jay Kristoff, #NFDB
420:S'insurger contre l'hérédité c'est s'insurger contre des milliards d'années, contre la première cellule. ~ Emil M Cioran, #NFDB
421:Ce manquement des femmes à elles-mêmes par elles-mêmes opéré m’apparaissait toujours comme une erreur. ~ Marguerite Duras, #NFDB
422:Das Geheimnis des Glücks liegt nicht im Besitz, sondern im Geben. Wer andere glücklich macht, wird glücklich. ~ Andr Gide, #NFDB
423:Das ist der Instinkt des Menschen, er will leben, überleben. Der Mensch macht alles, um zu überleben. ~ J rgen Todenh fer, #NFDB
424:Il ne fallait jamais faire des expériences pour confirmer ses idées, mais simplement pour les contrôler. ~ Claude Bernard, #NFDB
425:Il y avait des hommes si ambitieux qu'ils auraient torché les chefs, pour les entendre seulement dire merci. ~ mile Zola, #NFDB
426:Quand la cloche des fleurs résonne au sommet des ombelles, toute la terre se tait, tout le ciel parle. ~ Gaston Bachelard, #NFDB
427:Tout est bien sortant des mains de l'Auteur des choses, tout dégénère entre les mains de l'homme. ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau, #NFDB
428:Travailler huit heures...Ranger des vis...Etudier...Faire la lessive...Lisa mène une vie à l'infinitif. ~ Nicolas Dickner, #NFDB
429:ce qui frappe l'esprit capricieux du poète n'est pas toujours ce qui impressionne la masse des lecteurs. ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
430:Chaque chose doit resplendir à son heure, et cette heure est celle où des yeux véritables la regardent. ~ Marina Tsvetaeva, #NFDB
431:Die Entwicklung der patriarchalischen Gesellschaft geht Hand in Hand mit der Entwicklung des Privateigentums ~ Erich Fromm, #NFDB
432:Die reinste Form des Wahnsinns ist es, alles beim alten zu lassen und zu hoffen, dass sich etwas ändert. ~ Albert Einstein, #NFDB
433:History is but the record of crimes and misfortunes. L'histoire n'est que le tableau des crimes et des malheurs ~ Voltaire, #NFDB
434:Je suis né dans la ville d'Aubagne, sous le Garlaban couronné de chèvres, au temps des derniers chevriers. ~ Marcel Pagnol, #NFDB
435:Kindle Unlimited est un nouveau service d'abonnement offrant un accès illimité à plus de 700 000 titres et des ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
436:Les enfants ne sont pas des livres de coloriage. Tu ne peux pas les peindre avec tes couleurs préférées. ~ Khaled Hosseini, #NFDB
437:Les naturels sanguinaires à l'endroit des bestes, tesmoignent une propension naturelle à la cruauté. ~ Michel de Montaigne, #NFDB
438:l'Éternel dit à Moïse: L'homme sera mis à mort; que toute l'assemblée le lapide avec des pierres hors du camp. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
439:No le des vueltas al asunto de si vas a ponerte o no en las manos de un maestro. Siempre estás en sus manos. ~ Idries Shah, #NFDB
440:- Vivre, c'est courir des risques tous les jours, Kurt.
- Ça dépend dans quel sens on court.
(p.47) ~ Yasmina Khadra,#NFDB
441:A sa naissance, il entre dans le royaume des rêves pour ne s'éveiller à la réalité qu'au moment de sa mort. ~ Kakuz Okakura, #NFDB
442:Il y a des chagrins d’amour que le temps n’efface pas, et qui laissent aux sourires des cicatrices imparfaites. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
443:Je pleurerais sur les enfants des rois avec vous, pourvu que vous pleuriez avec moir sur les petits du peuple ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
444:Je sais, dit Adina, les hommes avaient des femmes, les femmes avaient des enfants, les enfants avaient faim. ~ Herta M ller, #NFDB
445:Le romancier est comme un médecin qui ne s'occuperait que des incurables. Et nous sommes tous des incurables. ~ John Irving, #NFDB
446:Liebe - von allen fiesen Streichen, die einem die Ironie des Lebens so spielt, der bei weitem fieseste. ~ Christopher Moore, #NFDB
447:Tu es tres belle quand tu marches dans les vestibules, quand tu empiles des livres, et quand tu pleures. ~ Janette Rallison, #NFDB
448:Vergessen wir nicht, dass auch uns die Bakterien - von der anderen Seite des Mikroskops - betrachten. ~ Stanis aw Jerzy Lec, #NFDB
449:Dieses herzlose Lied des Sturmes spottet Gott und dem Licht — es kündet von schwarzem Winter und dunklem Eis. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
450:Die Welle der Hoffnung, die ich im Tempel spürte, ist an der Küste der Erschöpfung und des Verlusts gebrochen. ~ Ally Condie, #NFDB
451:Glück des Schriftstellers ist der Gedanke, der ganz Gefühl, ist das Gefühl, das ganz Gedanke zu werden vermag. ~ Thomas Mann, #NFDB
452:Je faisais tout pour réintégrer le monde des vivants et ne plus sombrer dans des délires paranoïaques. ~ Agn s Martin Lugand, #NFDB
453:La popularité ne va jamais sans la défaveur. L’amour des esclaves est toujours doublé de la haine des maîtres. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
454:Le plus mauvais film américain est toujours véridique, il rend toujours fidèlement compte des États-Unis. Cela ~ Romain Gary, #NFDB
455:Mourir et donner des noms, on ne fait sans doute rien de plus sincère, pendant tout le temps où on vit. ~ Alessandro Baricco, #NFDB
456:Ce n'est pas en écoutant quelqu'un parler que l'on évolue. C'est en agissant et en vivant des expériences. ~ Laurent Gounelle, #NFDB
457:Certaines personnes parlent pendant leur sommeil, les conférenciers eux parlent pendant le sommeil des autres. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
458:Ceux qui s'appliquent trop aux petites choses deviennent ordinairement incapables des grandes. ~ Fran ois de La Rochefoucauld, #NFDB
459:Il ne savait pas que, pour les rois, le monde est très simplifié. Tous les hommes sont des sujets. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
460:La grandeur d'un métier est peut-être, avant tout, d'unir des hommes
(Terre des Hommes, ch. II) ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
461:La présence des autres affadit le monde. La solitude est cette conquête qui vous rend jouissance des choses. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
462:Le secret des grandes fortunes sans cause apparente est un crime oublié, parce qu’il a été proprement fait. ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
463:Nicht rhetorischer als die Literatur eines jungen Volkes, das sich in der Sprache des Alten ausdrückt. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
464:Nous ne choisissons pas nos vies, mais nous décidons quoi faire des joies et des tristesses que nous recevons. ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
465:Am Ausgang des Universums musste ein Schild stehen: Bitte verlassen Sie den Raum so, wie sie ihn vorfinden möchten. ~ Juli Zeh, #NFDB
466:Au-delà d'un certain âge, traverser la ville donne désagréablement à penser. Les adresses des morts s'accumulent. ~ Ian McEwan, #NFDB
467:I'il n'est pas en notre pouvoir de changer la nature des choses. Il faut les йtudier telles qu'elles sont. ~ Jean Baptiste Say, #NFDB
468:Mais que gaspillerait-il, au juste? De l'espace? Des centimètres carrés? Du vide? Peut-on gaspiller du vide? ~ Nicolas Dickner, #NFDB
469:Nul n'est plus arrogant à l'égard des femmes, agressif ou dédaigneux, qu'un homme inquiet de sa virilité. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
470:Religion ist die Unfähigkeit des menschlichen Verstandes, Ereignissen ins Gesicht zu sehen, die er nicht versteht. ~ Karl Marx, #NFDB
471:Si Jésus est un homme, Il a des contradictions. C'est évident. Sinon, Il n'est pas incarné, charnel, humain. ~ Fran oise Dolto, #NFDB
472:Toutes les grandes personnes ont d'abord été des enfants (mais peu d'entre elles s'en souviennent). ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
473:Vivre sans lecture c'est dangereux, il faut se contenter de la vie, ça peut amener à prendre des risques. ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
474:Chuck Norris übernimmt die Projektleitung des Flughafens Berlin Brandenburg. Eröffnung ist morgen früh um 6.30 Uhr. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
475:Du und alle Erben des Wohlstands, die glauben, das Leben sei eine Frage perfektionierter Gefühle. Ihr irrt euch. ~ Adam Haslett, #NFDB
476:Eines ist, die Geliebte zu singen. Ein anderes, wehe,
jenen verborgenen schuldigen Fluß-Gott des Bluts. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke,#NFDB
477:Il fuit ce monde qui efface les siècles des montagnes pour les mettre sous les roues des chemins de fer. (p. 76) ~ Erri De Luca, #NFDB
478:la possibilité de jeter le masque en toutes choses est l'un des rares avantages que je trouve à vieillir ~ Marguerite Yourcenar, #NFDB
479:Un des moments les plus pénibles de sa vie était celui où, chaque matin, en s'éveillant, il s'apprenait son malheur. ~ Stendhal, #NFDB
480:Chaque jour et partout dans le monde il y a des hommes en cercle autour d’une femme, prêts à lui jeter la pierre. ~ Annie Ernaux, #NFDB
481:Des cents artères, des milles veines les médianes que voici se sont arrêtées et avec elles les extrémités ont cessé. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
482:Les lois sont des toiles d'araignée à travers lesquelles passent les grosses mouches et où restent les petites ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
483:Les mots provoquent des émotions et constituent pour les hommes le moyen général de s'influencer réciproquement. ~ Sigmund Freud, #NFDB
484:Mme de Rênal pensait aux passions comme nous pensons à la loterie : duperie certaine et bonheur cherché par des fous. ~ Stendhal, #NFDB
485:Tout le malheur des hommes vient d’une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos dans une chambre. ~ Blaise Pascal, #NFDB
486:In den einsamen Stunden des Geistes ist es schön in der Sonne zu gehn,
an den gelben Mauern des Sommers hin
~ Georg Trakl,#NFDB
487:Jusqu'au fond de l'horizon imaginable, jusqu'au bout du monde, il entendait la chute immense et molle des flocons. ~ Ren Barjavel, #NFDB
488:Le silence eternel des ces espaces infinis m'effraie - The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me. ~ Blaise Pascal, #NFDB
489:Le Tiers-Monde est le nom par lequel nous appelons, par pudeur, cet enfer, ou ce purgatoire des hommes vivants. ~ Fernand Braudel, #NFDB
490:Si tu refuses d'être responsable des défaites, tu ne le seras point des victoires.
(chapitre CLXXV) ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
491:Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre. ~ Blaise Pascal, #NFDB
492:Ces jours qui te semblent vides
Et perdus pour l’univers
Ont des racines avides
Qui travaillent les déserts ~ Paul Val ry,#NFDB
493:Il paraît que les paroles des hommes forts doivent toujours recevoir de l’approche de la mort une certaine grandeur. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
494:Il y a des gens qui n'auraient jamais été amoureux s'ils n'avaint jamais entendu parler de l'amour. ~ Fran ois de La Rochefoucauld, #NFDB
495:Le chemin des passions me conduit — as Lord Edouard in the "Julie" says it did him — à la philosophie veritable. ~ Edgar Allan Poe, #NFDB
496:nous avons de quoi nous vêtir et nous loger, mais nous aimerions tellement avoir des vêtements plus remarquables, ~ Dilgo Khyentse, #NFDB
497:Ce n'est jamais qu'à cause d'un état d'esprit qui n'est pas destiné à durer qu'on prend des résolutions définitives ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
498:Monsieur l’évêque, l’hypothèse Jéhovah me fatigue. Elle n’est bonne qu’à produire des gens maigres qui songent creux. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
499:N'y a-t-il pas des pensées, des actions qui, en amour, équivalent, pour certaines âmes, à de saintes fiancailles! ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
500:Quelquefois, il y a des sympathies si réelles que, se rencontrant pour la première fois, on semble se retrouver. ~ Alfred de Musset, #NFDB
501:C'est comme un jeu. Répétitif. Un peu lassant, même, après plus de vingt ans. Mais j'ai connu des jeux bien pires. ~ Suzanne Collins, #NFDB
502:C’est le malheur des êtres de
n’être pour nous que des planches de collections fort usables
dans notre pensée. ~ Marcel Proust,#NFDB
503:Deux très sérieuses tragédies se succèdent presque toujours dans la vie des êtres : le manque et l'excès d'amour. ~ Luc a Etxebarria, #NFDB
504:En philosophie, il faut se défier de ce qu'on croit entendre trop aisément, aussi bien que des choses qu'on n'entend pas. ~ Voltaire, #NFDB
505:Il vaut mieux mettre son coeur dans la prière sans trouver de paroles que trouver des mots sans y mettre son coeur. ~ Mahatma Gandhi, #NFDB
506:Il y a des etres mysterieux - toujours les memes - qui se tiennent en sentinelles a chaque carrefour de votre vie. ~ Patrick Modiano, #NFDB
507:si nous ne parvenons pas à nous dégager des besoins les plus futiles, nous en voudrons toujours plus que nécessaire ~ Dilgo Khyentse, #NFDB
508:Tant qu'il y aura sur la terre ignorance et misère, des livres de la nature de celui-ci pourront ne pas être inutiles. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
509:tant qu’il y aura sur la terre ignorance et misère, des livres de la nature de celui-ci pourront ne pas être inutiles. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
510:Übermaß des Schmerzes und Übermaß der Freude dauern nur kurze Zeit. Alle Extreme widerstreben dem menschlichen Herzen. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
511:Aimer à lire, c'est faire un échange des heures d'ennui que l'on doit avoir dans sa vie, contre des heures délicieuses. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
512:IDÉE POUR UN COURT DOCUMENTAIRE
Des représentants de l'industrie alimentaire essayent d'ouvrir leurs emballages. ~ Lydia Davis,#NFDB
513:il a participé à des soirées libertines où les partenaires passent de main en main comme du guacamole pendant l’apéritif. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
514:...il n'en démeurait pas moins un homme romantique, pensant que le monde des femmes pouvait se réduire à une femme. ~ David Foenkinos, #NFDB
515:L'écriture ne se réduit pas à des lettres sur du papier. C'est une façon de communiquer. C'est la mémoire d'un peuple. ~ Isaac Marion, #NFDB
516:Une des plus grandes sources d’erreurs, c’est de prendre le probable pour certain, et l’improbable pour impossible. ~ Frithjof Schuon, #NFDB
517:A bit ridiculous, but true. The moral of this story is to separate men and women when analyzing number of sexual organs. ~ Des MacHale, #NFDB
518:Des Moines is like your typical American city; it's just these concentric circles of malls, built outward from the city. ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
519:les maux atroces que les hommes ont imaginés pour oublier l'immense ennui qui les ronge ne sont que des jeux d'enfants. ~ Louis Aragon, #NFDB
520:Les meilleurs esprits ont leurs fétiches, et parfois se sentent vaguement meurtris des manques de respect de la logique. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
521:Man kann nicht dauern glücklich sein. Niemand kann das. Man muss lernen, mit den Realitäten des Lebens zurechtzukommen. ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
522:Ohne den doppelten Arm des Paradoxes ist der Verstand nicht fähig, erlesene Wahrheiten an der Wurzel zu packen. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
523:Das war eine Sache des Stolzes. Ein Revolvermann weiß, was Stolz ist – der unsichtbare Knochen, der den Hals steif hält. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
524:Être aimé, c'est en effet, sur cette terre où rien n'est complet, une des formes les plus étrangement exquises du bonheur. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
525:Manchmal gibt es kaum etwas Schwierigeres, als zu jemandem zu sprechen, der ueber die Macht des Schweigens verfuegt. ~ Elizabeth Kostova, #NFDB
526: Un grand seigneur est un homme qui voit le roi, qui parle aux ministres, qui a des ancêtres, des dettes et des pensions. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
527:Der Mensch spielt nur, wo er in voller Bedeutung des Wortes Mensch ist, und er ist nur da ganz Mensch, wo er spielt. ~ Friedrich Schiller, #NFDB
528:Die größte Freude ist die, aus verschiedenen Sprachen auswählen zu können, was den Inhalt des Geistes am besten ausdrückt. ~ Dermot Healy, #NFDB
529:—Et depuis quand les évêques s'y connaissent-ils en femmes?
—Très longue histoire. La nuit des temps —répondit l'évêque. ~ Fred Vargas,#NFDB
530:Il accomplissait rationnellement son orbite autour du monde, sans s'inquiéter des astéroïdes qui gravitaient autour de lui. ~ Jules Verne, #NFDB
531:Il ne nous suffit pas de comprendre nos obligations à l'égard des autres et de la terre; nous devons aussi les ressentir. ~ Wendell Berry, #NFDB
532:la trace des temps anciens d’une civilisation cosmique fait honte aux dévots des temps nouveaux de la civilisation acosmique. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
533:Pâte d’œufs de cabillaud salés et/ou fumés, présentée en tube, une des garnitures pour tartines les plus appréciées en Suède. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
534:Wenn das Totsein erst einmal den Reiz des Neuen verloren hat, scheint ein gewisses Unbehagen an seine Stelle zu treten. ~ Chuck Palahniuk, #NFDB
535:Il n'y a pas des sots si incommodes que ceux qui ont de l'esprit - Nema neugodnije budale od one koja ima nešto duha. ~ Arthur Conan Doyle, #NFDB
536:Ils racontaient sur mon compte des horreurs à n'en plus finir et des mensonges à s'en faire sauter l'imagination. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
537:Je reste des heures entières debout au même endroit, presque sans bouger (j’ai même vu le vent s’arrêter dans ma main) ~ Richard Brautigan, #NFDB
538:Je suis devenu pompier parce que je voulais sauver des gens. Mais j'aurais dû être plus précis. J'aurais dû citer des noms. ~ Jodi Picoult, #NFDB
539:Les enfants ne sont pas des livres de coloriage. Tu ne peux pas les peindre avec tes couleurs préférées. The kite runner ~ Khaled Hosseini, #NFDB
540:Pendant des années j’ai attendu que ma vie change, mais maintenant, je sais que c’était elle qui attendait que moi je change. ~ Fabio Volo, #NFDB
541:pensait aux passions, comme nous pensons à la loterie: duperie certaine et bonheur cherché par des fous
(partie I, ch. VIII) ~ Stendhal,#NFDB
542:Take some time to play around with segmentation. If you can pinpoint your best and worst customers it's well worth the time. ~ Des MacHale, #NFDB
543:Ce devrait être toujours comme ça quand on aime. Sans condition. Sans juger. Sans établir des critères, des préférences. ~ Katherine Pancol, #NFDB
544:Es gibt Gebiete des Denkens, die man nicht ungestraft betritt. Kopfschmerzen und ein schlechter Charakter sind der Mindestpreis. ~ Juli Zeh, #NFDB
545:Il faut prendre des risques. Nous ne comprenons vraiment le miracle de la vie que lorsque nous laissons arriver l'inattendu. ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
546:Il y a des gens, jeune homme, qui tombent tellement amoureux de la vie qu'ils préfèrent mourir plutôt que de renoncer à vivre ~ Romain Gary, #NFDB
547:N’ayez pas peur. Parlez des bonnes choses de votre vie a qui veut les entendre. L’âme du Monde a grand besoin de votre joie. ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
548:Sous la carapace de dureté et d'intransigeance du commissaire Mallock, il y avait des troupeaux de tendresse galopant en liberté. ~ Mallock, #NFDB
549:Die Erbsünde des Liberalismus ist die Zuweisung aller Eigenschaften, deren der Mensch fähig ist, an jedes Individuum. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
550:Ia démocratie est la pire des dictatures parce qu'elle est la dictature exercée par le plus grand nombre sur la minorité. ~ Pierre Desproges, #NFDB
551:In allem Streben und Forschen suche ich hinter dem Geheimnis des Lichtstrahls ehrfürchtig das Geheimnis des göttlichen Geistes. ~ Max Planck, #NFDB
552:Le monde se divise en deux catégories de gens : ceux qui lisent des livres et ceux qui écoutent ceux qui ont lu des livres. ~ Bernard Werber, #NFDB
553:L'homme honnête et sensible fait des confidences, pendant que l'homme d'affaire écoute avec profit et le dévore ensuite ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky, #NFDB
554:Un sceptique qui adhère à un croyant cela est simple comme la loi des couleurs complémentaires.Ce qui nous manque nous attire. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
555:Die Idee, dass man die Wahrheit auf dem Weg des Denkens finden könne, führt nicht nur zum Dogma, sondern auch zur Wissenschaft. ~ Erich Fromm, #NFDB
556:Il y a des temps où l’on ne doit dépenser le mépris qu’avec économie, à cause du grand nombre de nécessiteux. ~ Fran ois Ren de Chateaubriand, #NFDB
557:Il y aura toujours dans le fait de faire des phrases avec l'horreur quelque chose d'indécent.
(ch. 38 BH juge de BHL) ~ Bernard Henri L vy,#NFDB
558:J'espère qu'on se reverra. Oui, j'en suis certain, dans des circonstances plus favorables. La terre est ronde, n'est-ce pas ? ~ D ng Thu H ng, #NFDB
559:Le bonheur individuel se doit de produire des retombées collectives, faute de quoi, la société n'est qu'un rêve de prédateur. ~ Daniel Pennac, #NFDB
560:Les êtres particuliers intelligents peuvent avoir des lois qu'ils ont faites; mais ils en ont aussi qu'ils
n'ont pas faites. ~ Montesquieu,#NFDB
561:Niemand kann dir die Brücke bauen, auf der gerade du über den Fluß des Lebens schreiten mußt. Niemand außer dir allein. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
562:Quand la haine des hommes ne comporte aucun risque, leur bêtise est vite convaincue, les motifs viennent tout seuls. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
563:VIVE LE COMBAT DES JEUNES CONTRE LE CRIMES RACISTES! USA: TRAYVON MARTIN, 17 ANS ASSASSINÉ CAR NOIR ET LE RACISTE ACQUITÉ. ~ Ta Nehisi Coates, #NFDB
564:À l’échelle du cosmique (toute la physique moderne nous l’apprend) seul le fantastique à des chances d’être vrai. ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, #NFDB
565:Das widerlichste und groteskeste der Schauspiele ist das der Überlegenheit des lebenden Professors über das tote Genie. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
566:—Devia saber que us trobaria.
—No —va corregir-lo en Harry—; el que devia saber és que voldries tornar des del primer moment. ~ J K Rowling,#NFDB
567:La philosophie triomphe aisément des maux passés et des maux à venir. Mais les maux présents triomphent d'elle. ~ Fran ois de La Rochefoucauld, #NFDB
568:La saveur des fruits d'un arbre ne dépend pas de la figure du paysage qui l'environne, mais de la richesse invisible du terrain. ~ Paul Val ry, #NFDB
569:Le pays latins, comme les pays d'Orient, oppriment la femme par le rigueur des moeurs encore plus que par celle des lois. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
570:Mais il faut avoir vécu des années dans le rien pour comprendre comment on peut être subitement effrayé par une possibilité. ~ David Foenkinos, #NFDB
571:Mein Herz ist voller
Dankbarkeit, aber meine Armut an
deutschen Worten zwingt mich zu
großer Sparsamkeit des Ausdruckes. ~ Mark Twain,#NFDB
572:Nos vanités construsient ces digues minuscules, ainsi font, avec du sable, des enfants accroupis et le dos tourné à la mer. ~ Fran ois Mauriac, #NFDB
573:„Ohne Vergütungen, die weit über das eigentlich Angemessene hinausgehen, wäre der Beruf des Politikers viel zu unerfreulich. ~ Neal Stephenson, #NFDB
574:Quand on vit aux cotés des gens on ne se rend pas vraiment compte qu'ils changent, et c'est comme cela qu'on finit par les perdre. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
575:Une chose qui m’humilie profondément est de voir que le génie humain a des limites, quand la bêtise humaine n’en a pas. ~ Alexandre Dumas fils, #NFDB
576:Ce fut un naïf, un naïf sublime, resté sur le seuil du temple, à genoux devant des cierges qu’il prenait de loin pour des étoiles. ~ mile Zola, #NFDB
577:Die Nähe des Todes schafft eine Atmosphäre die das Außergewöhnliche begünstigt (und über die conditio humana hinauswachsen lässt) ~ Octavio Paz, #NFDB
578:En résumé, [à toutes les époque], le meilleur artiste restait encore un artisan, le plus humble des artisans était un artiste. ~ William Morris, #NFDB
579:La nature a des perfections pour montrer qu’elle est l’image de Dieu, et des défauts pour montrer qu’elle n’en est que l’image. ~ Blaise Pascal, #NFDB
580:La terre, dit-il, a une peau ; et cette peau a des maladies.
Une de ces maladies s’appelle par exemple :
« homme ». ~ Friedrich Nietzsche,#NFDB
581:Le bonheur est comme ces palais des îles enchantées dont les dragons gardent les portes. Il faut combattre pour le conquérir, ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
582:Mußte denn das so sein, daß das, was des Menschen Glückseligkeit macht,
wieder die Quelle seines Elendes würde? ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,#NFDB
583:on ne peut pas réaliser le rêve de sa vie si l'on n'est pas prêt à faire des efforts et, si nécessaire, quelques sacrifices. ~ Laurent Gounelle, #NFDB
584:- Quand vas-tu enfin cesser de me causer des peurs pareilles ? Avant de te connaître, j'ignorais jusqu'au simple sens de ce mot. ~ Sarah Morgan, #NFDB
585:Après trois ans, un couple doit se quitter, se suicider, ou faire des enfants, ce qui sont trois façons d'entériner sa fin. ~ Fr d ric Beigbeder, #NFDB
586:Des hommes raisonnables? Des hommes détenteurs de la sagesse? Des hommes inspirés par l'espirit? ... Non, ce n'est pas possible. ~ Pierre Boulle, #NFDB
587:J'ai toujours cru que certains endroits sont des aimants et que vous êtes attirés vers eux si vous marchez dans leurs parages. ~ Patrick Modiano, #NFDB
588:L'humanité gémit, à demi écrasée sous le poids des progrès qu'elle a faits. Elle ne sait pas assez que son avenir dépend d'elle. ~ Henri Bergson, #NFDB
589:Nichts lässt die Erde mit größerer Sicherheit zur Hölle werden, als der Versuch des Menschen, sie seinem Himmel zu machen. ~ Friedrich H lderlin, #NFDB
590:portant comme châtiment suprême le poids du repentir personnel des péchés qu'il a commis après son baptême. Livre VI, XV ~ Clement of Alexandria, #NFDB
591:Quelques corbeaux passèrent au ras du plafond des nuages, se posèrent en grappes noires sur l'orme dressé au milieu de la plaine. ~ Ren Barjavel, #NFDB
592:Tu n’étais pas comme les autres car tu regardais toujours au-delà des choses… Tu voulais toujours voir ce qui n’existait pas. ~ Philippe Claudel, #NFDB
593:a cette incroyable capacité à inventer des gadgets dont on n’a pas besoin et sans lesquels, brusquement, on ne peut plus vivre. ~ Walter Isaacson, #NFDB
594:Ce monde reste primitif, Shonsu. Ne t'attends pas à des déductions salariales, à des assurances maladie et à des plans de retraite… ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
595:En plongeant dans la personnalité des autres, il oublia la sienne, ce qui est la seule manière peut-être de n'en pas souffrir. ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
596:I love it. It's all good to me. Whether I'm performing in New York, L.A., Columbus or Des Moines, I give 110 percent every night. ~ Bret Michaels, #NFDB
597:Il se crée des liens particuliers lorsqu’on fait ensemble certaines choses. Abattre un troll de quatre mètres de haut, par exemble. ~ J K Rowling, #NFDB
598:« Il y a des hommes qui ont le pouvoir de raconter des histoires que chacun croit être siennes : ce sont les écrivains. » ~ ric Emmanuel Schmitt, #NFDB
599:Je n'étais vraiment moi–même qu'à l'instant où je m'enfuyais. Mes seuls bons souvenirs sont des souvenirs de fuite ou de fugue. ~ Patrick Modiano, #NFDB
600:Je prends un autre prénom, Ahmed. Je jette mes robes. Je coupe mes cheveux. Je me fais disparaître. J'intègre le pays des hommes. ~ Nina Bouraoui, #NFDB
601:Les livres sont la plus grande contradiction des barreaux. Ils ouvrent le plafond de la cellule du prisonnier allongé sur son lit. ~ Erri De Luca, #NFDB
602:Ses textes étaient des poèmes en prose, le genre de choses qu'écrivent les infirmières avant d'assister à leur première amputation. ~ Don DeLillo, #NFDB
603:Vrai ou faux, ce qu'on dit des hommes tient souvent autant de place dans leur vie et surtout dans leur destinée que ce qu'ils font. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
604:Vrai ou faux, ce qu’on dit des hommes tient souvent autant de place dans leur vie et surtout dans leur destinée que ce qu’ils font. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
605:Ce n’est pas par goût de la souffrance que j’use mes semelles mais parce que la lenteur révèle des choses cachées par la vitesse. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
606:Die Kontinuität des Westens riß ab, als das alte Buch aufhörte, Lehren zu enthalten, um sich in ein Dokument zu verwandeln. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
607:Die Rippen sangen die Melodie des Schmerzes, aber Knie, Ellenbogen und Kopf fügten Triller und Arpeggios hinzu."
(Klonk!) ~ Terry Pratchett,#NFDB
608:Doch die graue Welt hinter jenen leeren Augen würde einfach alles zerstören, ohne ihren Opfern die Gnade des Hasses zu gewähren. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
609:J'ai tendu des cordes de clocher a clocher; des guirlandes de fenetre a fenetre; des chaines d'or d'etoile a etoile, et je danse. ~ Arthur Rimbaud, #NFDB
610:— Je t’ai dit que je t’aimais ? reprit-il d’un ton timide.
— Tu m’as donné des preuves d’amour, dit-elle, c’est beaucoup mieux. ~ Marc Levy,#NFDB
611:La tristesse des hommes qui ont vieilli c'est de ne pas même songer à écrire de telles lettres dont ils ont appris l'inefficacité. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
612:La vie nous met parfois dans des situations dont nous ne pouvons nous extraire qu'en renonçant aux valeurs que nous défendons... ~ Guillaume Musso, #NFDB
613:Llega un momento en el que estar enfadado no es más que un mal hábito, como fumar, que te va envenenando sin que te des cuenta. ~ Jonathan Tropper, #NFDB
614:Par moi l'on va dans la cité des pleurs ;
Par moi l'on va dans l'éternelle douleur ;
Par moi l'on va chez la race perdue. ~ Dante Alighieri,#NFDB
615:Il y a bien des souvenirs, mais quelqu'un les a électrifiés et connectés à nos cils, dès qu'on y pense on a les yeux qui brûlent. ~ Mathias Malzieu, #NFDB
616:Im Kopfe trage ich Bijouterien,
Der Zukunft Krondiamanten,
Die Tempelkleinodien des neuen Gotts,
Des grossen Unbekannten. ~ Heinrich Heine,#NFDB
617:Mit der Zeit verwarf ich die Idee des Briefes und nahm an wenn schon sei es praktischer gleich mit dem Meisterwerk zu beginnen. ~ Carlos Ruiz Zaf n, #NFDB
618:Sur le mer, les hommes sont presque en dehors des lois; chez eux c'est le droit du plus fort, comme chez nous le droit du plus riche. ~ George Sand, #NFDB
619:Alors je me souviens que le mot 'Étranger' est une des plus belles promesses du monde, une promesse en couleurs, belle comme la Liberté. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
620:Avance, avance, se disait-il. Cheeseburgers, lui répondait son estomac. La ferme, pensait-il. Avec des frites, gémissait son estomac. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
621:Der Kaiser stand nicht nur vor der Tür des Todes, sondern bereits im Flur, bewunderte den Teppich und kommentierte den Hutständer. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
622:El hecho de que toda filosofía sea de antemano un juego dialéctico, una Philosophie des Als Ob, ha contribuido a multiplicarlas. ~ Jorge Luis Borges, #NFDB
623:La loi de la pluralité des suffrages est elle-même un établissement de convention, et suppose au moins une fois l'unanimité. ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau, #NFDB
624:La vie qui s’en va en riant / Remplir des entités nouvelles, / La vie n’a pas duré longtemps, / La fin de journée est si belle. ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
625:Mais tuer des hommes ne mène a rien qu'a en tuer plus encore. Pour faire triompher un principe, c'est un principe qu'il faut abattre. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
626:Mon orgueil ne regarde que moi. Mais l'orgueil des hommes, leur révolte, l'injustice où ils vivent, cela, c'est notre affaire à tous. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
627:N’est-il pas dans la noble destinée de la femme d’être plus touchée des pompes de la misère que des splendeurs de la fortune ? ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
628:Notre religion, notre morale, notre philosophie, en sont que des formes de decadence de l humanite, le contre mouvement: l art ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
629:plus ineffaçable des taches ? Vous êtes sorti sain et sauf des basses calomnies, vous avez conquis les cœurs. Vous apparaissez rayonnant ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
630:Quels sont mes vrais héros ? Des sentiments.
Des figures abstraites qui n'en vivent pas moins et dont les exigences sont extrêmes. ~ Jean Cocteau,#NFDB
631:Bien sûr on a des chagrins d’amour, mais on a surtout des chagrins de soi-même. Finalement la vie n’est qu’une affaire de solitude. ~ Fran oise Sagan, #NFDB
632:Dès que quelqu'un comprend qu'il est contraire à sa dignité d'homme d'obéir à des lois injustes, aucune tyrannie ne peut l'asservir. ~ Mahatma Gandhi, #NFDB
633:en dehors de l’optique d’espérance éternelle, en dehors de la tromperie des habitudes prises et de l’attente du bonheur toujours rêvé ~ Joseph Conrad, #NFDB
634:Il existait à Paris des zones intermédiaires, des no man's land où l'on était à la lisière de tout, en transit, ou même en suspens. ~ Patrick Modiano, #NFDB
635:Il n’y avait plus alors de destins individuels, mais une histoire collective qui était la peste et des sentiments partagés par tous. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
636:Je suggère que tu mettes de côté une partie des sommes que tu investis à fonds perdus dans l'industrie des boissons alcooliques. ~ John Kennedy Toole, #NFDB
637:Les philosophes disent: Modérez vos joies. Moi je dis: Lâchez-leur la bride, à vos joies. Soyez épris comme des diables. Soyez enragés. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
638:Ma bouche sera la bouche des malheurs qui n'ont point de bouche, ma voix, la liberté de celles qui s'affaissent au cachot du désespoir. ~ Aim C saire, #NFDB
639:So, nun wissen Sie's. Hoffnungslos, wie alle unsere wirklichen Wünsche, solche, mein' ich, deren Inhalt des Wünschens wert ist. ~ Heimito von Doderer, #NFDB
640:Und die liebende Frau, o, die liebende Frau! - die vergöttert sogar die Laster und die größten Schandtaten des geliebten Mannes. ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky, #NFDB
641:Asculta fermecată suspinele vântului în frunzișul des al teiului și ropotul rarelor picături care începuseră să cadă pe frunzele cel joase. ~ Stendhal, #NFDB
642:Comment se réjouir de la victoire sur un ennemi hideux si pour le vaincre il a fallu devenir comme lui?
("La peur des barbares") ~ Tzvetan Todorov,#NFDB
643:Deux êtres unis par un profond amour n'ont-ils pas des chances de se faire mal non moins profondément? N'en ont-ils pas le pouvoir? ~ Ursula K Le Guin, #NFDB
644:Die Freiheit des Menschen liegt nicht darin, dass er tun kann, was er will, sondern dass er nicht tun muss, was er nicht will. ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau, #NFDB
645:Man muss die Originalität des eigenen Lebens infrage stellen wenn es sich mit den Zeilen eines Rocksongs perfekt umschreiben lässt. ~ Jonathan Tropper, #NFDB
646:Nous avons échangé des civilités. Mi-scénario hollywodien, mi-bonne société. Elle a commencé à hurler, puis essayé de me mordre la main. ~ Hugh Laurie, #NFDB
647:Prolog Zur Vorstellung Des Deutschen Volkstheaters
Am 31. März 1917 Zugunsten Der Sechsten
Österreichischen Kriegsanleihe
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
648:Des doutes succédaient à leurs emportements d'espoir. Après des crises de gaieté verbeuse, ils tombaient dans des silences profonds. ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
649:›Dies ist nicht das Ende. Es ist nicht einmal der Anfang vom Ende, aber es ist – vielleicht – das Ende des Anfangs.‹ Winston Churchill ~ G Michael Hopf, #NFDB
650:Eine der allgemeinen Regeln des Glücks lautet: Hüte dich vor angeblich nützlichen Gegenständen, die weniger wiegen als ihr Handbuch. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
651:Fun fact: when Microsoft asked their users what they wanted added to Office, they found 90% of the requested features were already there. ~ Des Traynor, #NFDB
652:Wenn Sie schon Blut, Schweiß und Tränen in den Rest des Menüs investiert haben, dann holen Sie einen leckeren Kuchen aus der Konditorei. ~ Nigel Slater, #NFDB
653:Aucun des sophismes de la folie, - la folie qu'on enferme, - n'a été oublié par moi : je pourrais les redire tous, je tiens le système. ~ Arthur Rimbaud, #NFDB
654:Elle était morte avec cette joie tragique des cœurs jaloux qui entraînent l'être aimé dans leur mort, et qui disent : personne ne l'aura ! ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
655:Gut gesprochen, gut gelernt, eilfertig herausgespien aus dem Fundus Eures Unverstands und unter konsequenter Umgehung des Nachdenkens. ~ Frank Sch tzing, #NFDB
656:J'avais besoins de voir qu'il restait dans des éléments fixes, permanents, quand mon existence tout entière semblait partir en morceaux. ~ Morgan Matson, #NFDB
657:Leur manière de vivre - qui n'était pas celle des autres - déplaisait. Ils devinrent suspects; et même inspiraient une vague terreur. ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
658:Mais nous relisons surtout gratuitement, pour le plaisir de la répétition, la joie des retrouvailles, la mise à l'épreuve de l'intimité. ~ Daniel Pennac, #NFDB
659:schlafen die kleinen Scheiben des Todes, wie ich verachte sie" which means sleep those tiny slices of death how i despise them ~ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, #NFDB
660:Wenn ihr jemandem ins Gesicht seht, der bereit ist, für eine Sache zu töten, so riechen eure Nasen zweifellos den Geruch des Abscheus. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
661:11 % des décès chez les hommes et 16 % chez les femmes pourraient être évités par une réduction de la consommation de viande rouge1356. ~ Matthieu Ricard, #NFDB
662:Bourgeoises, elles sont solidaires des bourgeois et non des femmes prolétaires ; blanches des hommes blancs et non des femmes noires ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
663:Ces plaisirs violents ont des fins violentes;
Dans leurs excès ils meurent tels la poudre et le feu,
Que leur baiser consume. ~ William Shakespeare,#NFDB
664:En vérité, je vous dis: si vous ne vous convertissez et ne devenez comme les petits enfants, vous n'entrerez point dans le royaume des cieux. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
665:Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen,
durch des Himmels prächtgen Plan,
Laufet Brüder eure Bahn,
freudig wie ein Held zum siegen. ~ Friedrich Schiller,#NFDB
666:La vérité, comme les animaux sauvages, est trop puissante pour rester enfermée dans une cage. Extrait du Manifeste de la faction des Sincères ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
667:Le problème des hommes , c'est qu'ils ne savent pas s'entendre entre eux que ligués contre d'autres. C'est l'ennemi qui les unit. ~ ric Emmanuel Schmitt, #NFDB
668:Quand elles [les femmes] sont intervenues dans le cours du monde, c'est en accord avec les hommes, dans des perspectives masculines. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
669:Quel peuple!" Ils sont tellement habitués à chercher la vie dans des conditions difficiles qu'ils porteront l'espérance jusqu'en enfer. ~ Dany Laferri re, #NFDB
670:Von Goethe stammt auch das tiefe Wort, daß der Mathematiker nur insofern vollkommen sei, als er das Schöne des Wahren in sich empfinde. ~ Oswald Spengler, #NFDB
671:Des Menschen Kraft, im Dichter offenbart
The human power is revealed by poet
Il potere dell'umanità si rivela nel poeta ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,#NFDB
672:Frank attrapa un des pancakes, le roula et l’entama. Il n’était pas du genre à se laisser couper l’appétit par un risque de mort imminente. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
673:Il arrive que ce que les morts laissent en partant nous apprenne sur eux des choses qu'ils ne nous auraient jamais dites de leur vivant. ~ Marina Abramovi, #NFDB
674: La nature, industrieuse en faveur des hommes, ne s'est pas bornée à leur donner les désirs : elle a voulu que nous en eussions nous-mêmes, ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
675:Les amants des prostituées
Sont heureux, dispos et repus;
Quant à moi, mes bras sont rompus
Pour avoir étreint des nuées. ~ Charles Baudelaire,#NFDB
676:Ne prêtez pas vos livres:personnes ne les rends jamais. Les seuls livres que j'ai dans ma bibliothèques sont des livres qu'on m'a prêtés. ~ Anatole France, #NFDB
677:Penser à toi, c'est comme jeter des flocons dans un feu. Il est une certaine forme de bonheur qui me fait peur à peu près pour toujours. ~ Mathias Malzieu, #NFDB
678:Pour que dans le cerveau d'un couillon la pensée fasse un tour, il faut qu'il lui arrive beaucoup de choses et des bien cruelles. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
679:reason. Il n'y a pas des sots si incommodes que ceux qui ont de l'esprit!” “You see!” said Athelney Jones, reappearing down the steps ~ Arthur Conan Doyle, #NFDB
680:- Tu sais pourquoi Jean Barbek s'est arrêté de parler? lui demande-t-il.
- C'est une des nombreuses choses qu'il n'a jamais dites. ~ Alessandro Baricco,#NFDB
681: Cette gravité des Asiatiques vient du peu de commerce qu'il y a entre eux : ils ne se voient que lorsqu'ils y sont forcés par la cérémonie. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
682:Freiheit ist immer die Freiheit des Andersdenkenden
Freedom is always, and exclusively, freedom for the one who thinks differently. ~ Rosa Luxemburg,#NFDB
683:Im Land der Erinnerung ist die Zeit immer das Jetzt.
Im Königreich des Vergangenen ticken die Uhren … aber ihre Zeiger bewegen sich nie. ~ Stephen King,#NFDB
684:Ist die Literatur vielleicht ein Bär, der seine Pfote leckt, ein bleierner Schlaf nach getaner Pflicht, auf dem Diwan des Arbeitszimmers? ~ Osip Mandelstam, #NFDB
685:La plupart des gens ne meurent qu'au dernier moment ; d'autres commencent et s'y prennent vingt ans d'avance et parfois davantage. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
686:La plupart des gens ne meurent qu'au dernier moment ; d'autres commencent et s'y prennent vingt ans d'avance et parfois davantage. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
687:Das Weib ist nicht schwach. ich will in meinem Beisein nichts von der Schwäche des [weiblichen] Geschlechts hören.
Elisabeth, II, 3 ~ Friedrich Schiller,#NFDB
688:He can’t be bad, he can’t. We might both be fucked up, and sure, Des has killed a few people, but he can’t be evil—more like … Wicked Lite. ~ Laura Thalassa, #NFDB
689:Ils n'ont aucune raison de faire du business avec nous. Tu fais des affaires avec tes souris de laboratoires ou tes grenouilles d'élevages? ~ Bernard Werber, #NFDB
690:L’impossible ne peut évidemment pas s’être produit. Cela veut dire, par conséquent, que l’impossible est possible en dépit des apparences. ~ Agatha Christie, #NFDB
691:Notre vie est un livre qui s'écrit tout seul. Nous sommes des personnages de roman qui ne comprennent pas toujours bien ce que veut l'auteur. ~ Julien Green, #NFDB
692:On est comme des ordinateurs qu'on programme et déprogramme à volonté. Nous nous conditionnons même à nos réussites et à nos échecs futurs. ~ Bernard Werber, #NFDB
693:Telle est la vie des hommes. Quelques joies, très vite effacées par d'inoubliables chagrins. Il n'est pas nécessaire de le dire aux enfants. ~ Marcel Pagnol, #NFDB
694:T’inquiète pas, Papa. Les gens passent leur temps à se pointer des pistolets au visage, ici. C’est presque comme se serrer la main. (Jesper) ~ Leigh Bardugo, #NFDB
695:— Donc, allez, vagabonds sans trêves,
Errez, funestes et maudits,
Le long des gouffres et des grèves,
Sous l’œil fermé des paradis ! ~ Paul Verlaine,#NFDB
696:Tant de fiel entre-t-il dans l'âme des dévots? - Can such bitterness enter into the heart of the devout? ~ Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, Le Lutrin (1683), I, 12, #NFDB
697:Wo die Liebe herrscht, da gibt es keinen machtwillen, und wo die macht den vorrang hat, da fehlt die Liebe. Das eine ist der Schatten des andern. ~ Carl Jung, #NFDB
698:dans les steppes, on emploie toujours le mot bleu pour décrire le ciel, même s'il est gris, car on sait qu'au dessus des nuages il demeure Bleu ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
699:Il n'y a pas d'erreur, pas de coïncidences. Tous les événements sont des bénédictions, qui nous sont données pour que nous apprenions. ~ Elisabeth K bler Ross, #NFDB
700:J'ai quelque fois rêvé que de temps en temps des heures se détachaient de la vie des anges et venaient ici-bas traverser la destinée des hommes. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
701:Je ne me fîerai point à des propos si doux,
Qu'un peu de ses faveurs, après quoi je soupire.
Ne vienne m'assurer tout ce qu'ils m'ont pu dire. ~ Moli re,#NFDB
702:La parole humaine est comme un chaudron fêlé où nous battons des mélodies à faire danser les ours, quand on voudrait attendrir les étoiles. ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
703:La vie retrouve son sel , parce que l 'apathie des jours passés est remplacée par la peur. Quelle joie d ' avoir peur de ratter une occasion !! ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
704:Le secret douloureux des Dieux et des rois: c'est que les hommes sont libres. Ils sont libres Egisthe. Tu le sais, et ils ne le savent pas. ~ Jean Paul Sartre, #NFDB
705:L’intervention des deux hommes avait peut-être été superflue, mais tout le monde savait que les dieux aidaient ceux qui se prenaient en main. Il ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
706:Plus on évolue dans sa vie, plus on se débarrasse des croyances qui
nous limitent, et plus on a de choix. Et le choix, c'est la liberté. ~ Laurent Gounelle,#NFDB
707:Puisque le destin n’est que la succession des causes enchaînées l’une à l’autre, Dieu est la première de toutes les causes, d’où les autres découlent ~ Seneca, #NFDB
708:Quand on veut plaire dans le monde, il faut se résoudre à se laisser apprendre beaucoup de choses qu'on sait par des gens qui les ignorent. ~ Nicolas Chamfort, #NFDB
709:Toutes les révolutions entraînent des morts. Certains doivent mourir pour que d’autres puissent vivre. C’est regrettable, mais c’est comme ça. ~ Marissa Meyer, #NFDB
710:Une des plus grandes niaiseries du commerce parisien est de vouloir trouver le succès dans les analogues, quand il est dans les contraires A ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
711:C’est le surf qui m’a appris à ne pas
lutter contre la force de la nature. Quelle que soit la violence des vagues
qu’on doit affronter. ~ Haruki Murakami,#NFDB
712:Denn mit jeder Minute, die man mit jemand anderem verbringt, schenkt man ihm einen Teil des eigenen Lebens und nimmt dafür einen Teil von seinem. ~ Ally Condie, #NFDB
713:Der Tyrannei eines Individuums ist dem Despotismus des Gesetzes vorzuziehen, denn der Tyrann ist verwundbar und das Gesetz unkörperlich. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
714:Er hatte eine besondere Methode des Reitens entwickelt, die es von ihm verlangte, in Abständen von einigen Sekunden aus dem Sattel zu fallen. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
715:Il faut désormais faire entendre la voix de ceux qui construisent des ponts, et non plus le seul vacarme de ceux qui détruisent et cloisonnent. ~ Tariq Ramadan, #NFDB
716:La tyrannie de mon maître finit par me rendre insupportable le travail que j'aurais aimé, et par me donner des vices que j'aurais haïs, ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau, #NFDB
717:La variété des manifestations de la vie suffit à l'éblouissement. Il n’y a qu'à jeter l’oeil, comme on lance un filet, pour pêcher des images. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
718:Les pensées sont des femmes, on les renifle, on les suit, on s'engrise et puis brusquement, le désir bifurque et l'on va voir ailleurs. ~ ric Emmanuel Schmitt, #NFDB
719:On ne peut jamais prévoir. Ni comment les choses vont se dérouler, ni pourquoi des trucs tout simples prennent soudain des proportions démentes. ~ Anna Gavalda, #NFDB
720:Par une belle matinée de mai, une svelte amazone, montée sur une somptueuse jument alezane, parcourait, au milieu des fleurs, les allées du boi. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
721:Toute éducation des femmes doit être relative aux hommes (...) La femme est fait pour céder à l'homme et pour supporter ses injustices. ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau, #NFDB
722:Dans l’humanité, la fréquence des vertus identiques pour tous n’est pas plus merveilleuse que la multiplicité des défauts particuliers à chacun. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
723:Garde-toi, tant que tu vivras, De juger des gens sur la mine. Beware as long as you live, Of judging others according to appearance alone. ~ Jean de La Fontaine, #NFDB
724:Non, mon père, dit-il. Je me fais une autre idée de l'amour. Et je refuserai jusqu'à la mort d'aimer cette création où des enfants sont torturés. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
725:Religion is the opium of the people translated from the German Die Religion ... ist das Opium des Volkessometimes misquoted as opiate of the people. ~ Karl Marx, #NFDB
726:Tu déchires des nuages et tu les envoies en direction du vent. Et alors?
Il est des nuages très fertiles et cela requiert un sol approprié. ~ Mahmoud Darwish,#NFDB
727:Géographie amoureuse: je préfère les plages de galets où grelottent des gens en pull de laine aux friteuses de sable couvertes de corps huileux. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
728:il n'est ni sagesse, ni calcul, ni science de l'eau quand elle dissout les digues et engloutit les villes des hommes.
(chapitre XV) ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
729:Ils tombèrent dans cette redoutable erreur de prendre l'obéissance du soldat pour le consentement de la nation. Cette confiance-là perd des trônes. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
730:Rien n'est plus monotone que les illusions d'originalité chez des hommes à qui l'on a inculqué, dès l'enfance, le préjugé du « génie créateur » ~ Frithjof Schuon, #NFDB
731:Un des problèmes essentiels qui se posent à propos de la femme, c'est la conciliation de son rôle reproducteur et de son travail producteur. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
732:Celui qui se relève de ses faux pas aura gagné l'estime des dieux. De toutes les couleurs qu'on lui en a fait voir, il construira un arc-en-ciel. ~ Yasmina Khadra, #NFDB
733:Cuando empiezas a preguntarte por lo que hace la gente en la cama, terminas metiendo las narices donde no te llaman antes de que te des cuenta. ~ Kathryn Stockett, #NFDB
734:J'ignorais alors que l'une des premieres conditions du comme il faut etait la dissimulation des efforts grace auxquels s'atteignait le comme il faut ~ Leo Tolstoy, #NFDB
735:Les lèvres d'une femme m'émeuvent quand elles s'approchent, nues, pour un baiser, elles se déshabillent entièrement, du haut des mots jusqu'en bas. ~ Erri De Luca, #NFDB
736:Was bedeutet Kultur anderes, als der groben Materie des Lebens ihr Feinstes, ihr Zartestes, ihr Subtilstes durch Kunst und Liebe zu entschmeicheln? ~ Stefan Zweig, #NFDB
737:Depuis quand était-ce ainsi? Il est difficile de dater le début d'un déclin d'amour. C'est progressif, insidieux, l'aisance surnoise des agonies. ~ David Foenkinos, #NFDB
738:Le soleil, ruisselant dans le bureau sous les stores baissés, taille dans la fumée des cigares une coupe oblique semblable à de la soie mouillée. ~ John Dos Passos, #NFDB
739:Sie hatten mich einfach in die Höhle des Löwen laufen lassen, ohne Munition, ohne Verteidigungsmittel, ohne Ratschläge, wie ich das überleben sollte. ~ Alyson Noel, #NFDB
740:Il arrive qu'on fasse des pieds et des mains pour atteindre un objectif, mais il vous échappe parce que les lois cosmiques suivent une autre voie. ~ Marina Abramovi, #NFDB
741:Jeannot la bêtise des amoureux est immense, végétale, animale, astrale. Que faire? Comment te faire comprendre que je n'existe plus en dehors de toi. ~ Jean Cocteau, #NFDB
742:La nata siempre flota, cariño. Han agitado la botella, pero tú date tiempo y verás cómo, antes de que te des cuenta, vuelves a estar en lo mas alto. ~ Milly Johnson, #NFDB
743:Brota soupira et décida de ne pas se mêler de cette affaire. Quand les hommes se comportent comme des enfants, les femmes doivent se tenir à l’écart. — ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
744:Elle vivait seule et travaillait plus dur que quiconque, évitait les contagions petites-bourgeoises: le doute de soi, le mépris des études, l'ennui. ~ Hanif Kureishi, #NFDB
745:Ils se sont groupés, car une chose comme un pneumothorax rapproche naturellement les hommes, et ils s'appellent "l'Association des demi-poumons" [...]. ~ Thomas Mann, #NFDB
746:Il y a des jours montueux et malaisés qu'on met un temps infini à gravir et des jours en pente qui se laissent descendre à fond de train en chantant. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
747:La vérité, ça peut couper les mains et laisser des entailles à ne plus pouvoir vivre avec, et la plupart d’entre nous, ce qu’on veut, c’est vivre. ~ Philippe Claudel, #NFDB
748:L'enfant est petit, et il renferme l'homme; le cerveau est étroit, et il abrite la pensée; l'œil n'est qu'un point, et il embrasse des lieues. ~ Alexandre Dumas fils, #NFDB
749:On peut juger de la bonté d'un livre à la vigueur des coups de poing qu'il vous a donnés et à la longueur de temps qu'on est ensuite à en revenir. ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
750:Pour un de ces regards charmants, baume divin,
Des plaisirs plus obscurs je lèverai les voiles,
Et je t'endormirai dans un rêve sans fin ! ~ Charles Baudelaire,#NFDB
751:C'este donc par l'étude des mathématiques, et seulement par elle, que l'on peut se faire une idée juste et approfondie de ce que c'est qu'une science. ~ Auguste Comte, #NFDB
752:[...], ein Grund für die Zunahme der Wellen des Fanatismus ist vielleicht die wachsende Sehnsucht nach einfachen Lösungen, nach Erlösung 'auf einen Schlag'. ~ Amos Oz, #NFDB
753:Je me suis rendu compte que les lieux aussi avaient des ombres. Les souvenirs rôdent et vous rendent nostalgique dès que vous vous en approchez trop près. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
754:La joie de l'expérience intérieure est de se laisser féconder, comme un terreau propice, par des émotions inconnues, portées par le vent des hasards. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
755:Sous mes pieds, j'en suis sûre, des racines poussent, qui rejoindront bientôt celles qui, j'en suis sûre, poussent sous les tiens et s'y grefferont. ~ R jean Ducharme, #NFDB
756:Zu lieben oder geliebt zu haben genügt. Danach verlangt nichts mehr! In den geheimnisvollen Wendungen des Lebens ist keine weitere Perle mehr zu finden. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
757:Abzustreiten daß eine „menschliche Natur“ existiert, ist ein ideologischer Kunstgriff des Optimisten, um sich vor der Geschichte zu verteidigen. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
758:Combien de gars se sont arrêtés de boire comme des trous à l'âge de vingt ans pour empêcher un inconnu de mourir d'une cirrhose à l'âge de quarante ? ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
759:Dichter: erhältst Du den Beifall des Volkes, so frage Dich: was habe ich schlecht gemacht?! Erhält ihn auch Dein zweites Buch, so wirf die Feder fort... ~ Arno Schmidt, #NFDB
760:One gives you the shirt off his back, mused Des, and the other offers to help you bury bodies. I do believe you have made some new friends, Pen! ~ Lois McMaster Bujold, #NFDB
761:semble drôle, pensa Alice, de faire des commissions pour un lapin ! Après ça, je suppose que c'est Dinah qui m'enverra faire des commissions !» Et elle ~ Lewis Carroll, #NFDB
762:There’s nothing contradictory about appreciating Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen and also getting a kick out of calling Amy Schumer a boring cunt. ~ Milo Yiannopoulos, #NFDB
763:Dans le travail scientifique, il est plus rationnel de s'attaquer à ce qu'on a devant soi, à des objets qui s'offrent d'eux-mêmes à notre investigation. ~ Sigmund Freud, #NFDB
764:Il est plus désirable de cultiver le respect du bien que le respect de la loi. Nous devons être d'abord des hommes et ensuite seulement des sujets ~ Henry David Thoreau, #NFDB
765:Vous ignorez ce qui se passait dans le reste de mon existence. Chez moi. Même au lycée. Personne ne connaît vraiment la vie des autres, seulement la sienne. ~ Jay Asher, #NFDB
766:Des Weiteren hatten wir eine große Geschichte, von der wir zehren konnten (jede kurze Geschichte, die nicht lange zurückreicht, ist eine große Geschichte) ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
767:Die Kraft des Menschen ist das Gebet. Beten ist Atem holen aus Gott. Beten heißt sich Gott anvertrauen. Das Gebet ist das Herz christlichen Lebens. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, #NFDB
768:Dieu regarde au fond des cœurs, il ne s'occupe ni du rang ni de l'état, nous sommes tous devant lui dans notre nudité, le général comme le simple soldat... ~ Thomas Mann, #NFDB
769:Ich bin noch immer nicht diesem Gefühl des leisen Stolzes, dem Gefühl der Anerkennung entwachsen, das sich einstellt, wenn Kinder einen bei der Hand nehmen. ~ Ian McEwan, #NFDB
770:Il n'y a pas d'obstacles impossibles; il y a des volontés simplement plus forts et les plus faibles, voilà tout!
-- Les Aventures du capitaine Hatteras ~ Jules Verne,#NFDB
771:Les dieux ont enseigné aux hommes à se contempler eux-mêmes dans le spectacle comme les dieux se contemplent eux-mêmes dans l'imagination des hommes. ~ Pierre Klossowski, #NFDB
772:Les grandes personnes ne comprennent jamais rien toutes seules, et c'est fatigant, pour les enfants, de toujours leur donner des explications. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
773:Le temps est un don des dieux, prêté à l'homme pour qu'il en tire parti, pour qu'il en tire un parti utile, ingénieur, au service du progrès de l'humanité. ~ Thomas Mann, #NFDB
774:On écoute mieux avec les yeux qu’avec les oreilles. Les oreilles sont des puits creux, bons pour les bavardages. Si tu as quelque chose à dire, écris‑le. ~ N gar Djavadi, #NFDB
775:car l'éclat de quelques heures de bonheur suffit parfois à rendre tolérables des disillusions et des saloperies que la vie ne manque pas de nous envoyer ~ Guillaume Musso, #NFDB
776:c'était le language de l'enthousiasme, des choses qu'on fait avec amour, avec passion, en vue d'un résultat que l'on souhaite obtenir ou en quoi l'on croit ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
777:Ist der Pharao ein Gott, weil die Ägypter ihn als Gott verehren? Für sie mag er einer sein. Für euch nicht. Göttlichkeit liegt allein im Auge des Betrachters. ~ Kai Meyer, #NFDB
778:Le ciel bleu-vert pendait presque jusqu'au pavé et de grandes taches blanches marquaient sur le sol la place où des nuages venaient de se fracasser. (p. 220) ~ Boris Vian, #NFDB
779:— Les gens faibles, les malades, les vieillards, les enfants, les handicapés, tous ceux-là sont-ils inférieurs ?
— Ils le sont aux yeux des lâches. ~ Tahar Ben Jelloun,#NFDB
780:Des fois, je donnerais ma main à couper pour devenir tout de suite un homme et d'autres fois il me semble que je ne voudrais pas survivre à ma jeunesse. ~ Jean Paul Sartre, #NFDB
781:Des policiers évoquent aussi l’«émulation» entre groupes, via des «blogs», une compétition entre quartiers voisins ou la recherche d’une exposition médiatique. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
782:Die Theologie ist die Anthropologie. - Theology is Anthropology. ~ Ludwig Feuerbach, The Essence of Christianity ["Wesen des Christenthums"], Preface to the 2nd Ed. (1843), #NFDB
783:Fais-le-moi vite connaître, pour qu'avec des ailes rapides comme l'idée ou les pensées de l'amour, je vole à la vengeance ! (Hamlet, Acte I, Scène V) ~ William Shakespeare, #NFDB
784:(...) ils fracassaient autour d'eux un idiome de castagnettes en brandissant au-dessus de leurs têtes des mains crispées dans un vent d'arguments. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
785:Besser vielleicht, du wärest in der Dunkelheit geblieben und dein unabgegrenztes Herz hätte versucht, all des Ununterscheidbaren schweres Herz zu sein. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke, #NFDB
786:Dû bist mîn, ich bin dîn,
des solt dû gewis sîn,
dû bist beslozzen in mînem herzen,
verlorn ist das slüzzelîn:
dû muost och immer darinne sîn. ~ Andrew Davidson,#NFDB
787:heard a foreman berating a clerk for sending an order to Des Moines instead of Davenport before the clerk had gotten the shipping form from the front office. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
788:J'aimais les mots et la sensation de les voir s'ajuster et tomber à leur place comme des pièces de monnaie dans la fente d'un distributeur automatique ~ Winston S Churchill, #NFDB
789:Michael: Gedanke des Tages: Glaubst du, dass wir das Gefühl hätten, etwas verpasst zu haben, wenn wir am Ende eines langen glücklichen Lebens sterben würden? ~ Alice Oseman, #NFDB
790:nous avons de quoi nous vêtir et nous loger, mais nous aimerions tellement avoir des vêtements plus remarquables, une demeure plus vaste, plus confortable. ~ Dilgo Khyentse, #NFDB
791:Sans doûte, à son âge, je paierai aussi des jeunes gens pour m'aimer parce que l'amour est la chose la plus douce et la plus vivante, la plus raisonnable. ~ Fran oise Sagan, #NFDB
792:Tout ce que je veux dire, c'est que si les hommes cédaient toujours à ce qu'il y a en eux de plus humain, il y a longtemps qu'ils ne seraient plus des hommes. ~ Romain Gary, #NFDB
793:Une femme adorable entre sans frapper. C’est elle... Jeune. Des yeux splendides, où il y a de la langueur, du désespoir, de la finesse, de la cruauté. ~ André Breton, Nadja, #NFDB
794:Was hätte es schließlich genützt, die „ultimative Waffe“ abzuwerfen und dann nicht einmal den Anruf des kapitulierenden Feindes entgegennehmen zu können? ~ Joseph P Farrell, #NFDB
795:Celui qui combat des monstres doit prendre garde à ne pas devenir monstre lui-même. Et si tu regardes longtemps un abîme, l’abîme regarde aussi en toi. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
796:Ce n'étaient pas des intrigues de femmes qu'il lui fallait, c'étaient des entreprises à faire et à diriger. Elle était née pour les grandes affaires. ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau, #NFDB
797:Dein Leben sind Bernhard und die Kinder. Schneide es nicht ab . Wer nur in Abschnitten lebt, dem fehlt die Spannweite, die Tragweite, der Sinn des Ganzen. ~ Daniel Glattauer, #NFDB
798:Die Bauweise des letzten Jahrhunderts verwechselte den Organismus mit der Fassade, die dieses Jahrhunderts verwechselt den Organismus mit dem Skelett. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
799:On aime sa mère presque sans le savoir, et on ne prend conscience de toute la profondeur des racines de cet amour qu au moment de la séparation dernière. ~ Guy de Maupassant, #NFDB
800:D'autre part, comment des gens de la même origine peuvent-ils être aussi différents, aussi totalement dépourvus de compréhension les uns envers les autres ? ~ Herbj rg Wassmo, #NFDB
801:Laisse-moi mordre longtemps tes tresses lourdes et noires. Quand je mordille tes cheveux élastiques et rebelles, il me semble que je mange des souvenirs. ~ Charles Baudelaire, #NFDB
802:Les vingt et quelques lettres de l'alphabet s'enlacent les unes aux autres pour former des mots ; elles s'apportent tendrement cette chaleur qui me manque. ~ Luc a Etxebarria, #NFDB
803:Si j'étais le soleil, je chercherais un autre endroit pour illuminer, un endroit où les gens n'utiliseraient pas ma lumière pour faire des choses horribles. ~ Uzodinma Iweala, #NFDB
804:Wer aber soll hausen in jenen Welten, wenn sie bewohnt sein sollten? ... Sind wir oder sie die Herren des Alls? ... Und ist dies alles dem Menschen gemacht? ~ Johannes Kepler, #NFDB
805:À quoi bon écrire ? tout s'imprime en moi et c'est peut-être la pure poésie que de se laisser imprégner et de déchiffrer en soi-même la signature des choses. ~ Blaise Cendrars, #NFDB
806:ceux qui se révèlent incapables de sentir en eux-mêmes la petitesse des grandes choses ne sauraient reconnaître chez les autres la grandeur des petites choses. ~ Kakuz Okakura, #NFDB
807:Je ne me battrais pas pour chaque mot tombé de ma bouche, mais il y a des tas de choses dont je ne parviens pas à parler et pour lesquelles je me battrais. ~ Flannery O Connor, #NFDB
808:Le souvenir n'est qu'un regard posé de temps en temps sur des êtres devenus intérieurs,mais qui ne dépendent pas de la mémoire pour continuer d'exister. ~ Marguerite Yourcenar, #NFDB
809:Noch bei der höchstvollendeten Reproduktion fällt eines aus: das Hier und Jetzt des Kunstwerks – sein einmaliges Dasein an dem Orte, an dem es sich befindet. ~ Walter Benjamin, #NFDB
810:si l'opposition des intérêts particuliers a rendu nécessaire l'établissement des sociétés, c'est l'accord de ces mêmes intérêts qui l'a rendu possible. ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau, #NFDB
811:tous les mondes ne suivent pas le même chemin, mais l'apparition du langage précède toujours l'âge des légendes. L'apparition de l'écriture marque sa fin. Wallie ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
812:Ce siècle sombre lentement dans un marécage de sperme et de merde. Lorsqu’il traitera des événements actuels, le futur historien devra enfiler des gants. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
813:C'est une habitude constante de tous les schismes et de toutes les hérésies de quelque ordre que ce soit, de se présenter comme un retour à la pureté des origines. ~ Ren Gu non, #NFDB
814:Es liegt in der Natur des Menschen, bis in den Tod hinein an die Kraft des Guten zu glauben, selbst dann, wenn er dem Bösen in seiner reinsten Form begegnet. ~ Sebastian Fitzek, #NFDB
815:Trecutul e o încăpere din prezent unde intrăm mai rar. N-avem decât să deschidem o uşă, atât şi suntem în trecut, iar uşa asta se deschide singură foarte des. ~ Ileana Vulpescu, #NFDB
816:Where I grew up, in Des Moines, Iowa, there is hardly any downtown economic activity now. Everybody shops in malls - you don't find a sense of community in malls. ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
817:ce en quelque sorte dans la bouche d’un enfant de neuf ans, une précaution à mon endroit, une manière de tâter le terrain, d’y aller sur la pointe des pieds. ~ Delphine de Vigan, #NFDB
818:Des marchands de sang humain criaient a tue-tête : "Qui veut des places ?". Une rage m'a pris contre ce peuple. J'ai eu envie de leur crier : "Qui veut la mienne ? ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
819:Draußen verwässert erstes Morgenlicht das satte Nachtschwarz des Himmels. Es ist der Moment, in dem Gestern zu Morgen wird und es für eine kurze Zeit kein Heute gibt. ~ Juli Zeh, #NFDB
820:Je dis la folie, et non point la démence. La démence est la perte des facultés intellectuelles. La folie n'est qu'un usage bizarre et singulier de ces facultés. ~ Anatole France, #NFDB
821:Sollte die Freiheit zu streben, die uns die Götter in allen Umständen des Lebens gelassen haben, sollte diese ein Mensch dem andern verkümmern können? ~ Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, #NFDB
822:Soupçonner qu'un rival est aimé est déjà bien cruel, mais se voir avouer en détail l'amour qu'il inspire à la femme qu'on adore est sans doute le comble des douleurs. ~ Stendhal, #NFDB
823:Un bébé titube avec des gestes d'ivrogne. Charmant, ce bébé, pas dangereux, pas jugeur de Juifs. Envie de l'embrasser. Non, trop blond, antisémite dans vingt ans. ~ Albert Cohen, #NFDB
824:Vous savez, Miss Jarmond, faire revivre le passé n'es pas chose facile. On a parfois des surprises désagréables. La vérité est plus terrible que l'ignorance. ~ Tatiana de Rosnay, #NFDB
825:Wir sind das Volk und wir wollen, dass kein Gesetz sei; ergo ist dieser Wille das Gesetz, ergo im Namen des Gesetzes gibt's kein Gesetz mehr, ergo totgeschlagen! ~ Georg B chner, #NFDB
826:Aus den fernsten Weiten des Weltraums betrachtet, ist die Erde nicht größer als ein Staubkorn. Bedenke das, wenn du das nächste Mal das Wort "Menschheit" schreibst. ~ Paul Auster, #NFDB
827:Elles étaient en touffes avec des racines d'or, épanouies, enfoncées dans les ténèbres et qui soulevaient des mottes luisantes de nuit.
(à propos des étoiles) ~ Jean Giono,#NFDB
828:Il ne faut jamais que les souvenirs que l'on héberge enfantent d'autres souvenirs dans la mémoire des autres. Ils deviennent alors presque impossible à disperser. ~ Andrea H Japp, #NFDB
829:Der Teufel ist nicht der Fürst der Materie, der Teufel ist die Anmaßung des Geistes, der Glaube ohne ein Lächeln, die Wahrheit, die niemals vom Zweifel erfasst wird. ~ Umberto Eco, #NFDB
830:« La perfection du juste est formée de la bonne composition des sept péchés capitaux, comme la lumière blanche de la composition des sept couleurs traditionnelles. » ~ Paul Val ry, #NFDB
831:La vie, le malheur, l'isolement, l'abandon, la pauvreté, sont des champs de bataille qui ont leurs héros ; héros obscurs plus grands parfois que les héros illustres. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
832:Le tumultueux torrent qui descend des montagnes va se perdre dans les ravins, mais la plus modeste goutte de rosée est aspirée par le soleil qui l'élève jusqu'aux étoiles. ~ Saadi, #NFDB
833:Mais, comme tout le monde le sait, le caractère et le sort des humains restent une énigme, et ce qu'on ne peut pas obtenir peut facilement devenir une obsession. ~ Herbj rg Wassmo, #NFDB
834:No, keep looking! Des demanded. For all the stares you’ve been sneaking at his sister’s ample backside, you can give us this. He’s not going to object. They ~ Lois McMaster Bujold, #NFDB
835:Nous avons tous les deux laissé filer notre train, c’était un travail d’équipe professionnel, après des mois intenses passés à s’entraîner à rater les stations. ~ Daniel Glattauer, #NFDB
836:Nous passâmes assez près de l'île d'Aurou, qui, au moment des observations de midi, m'apparut comme une masse de bois verts, dominée par un pic d'une grande hauteur. ~ Jules Verne, #NFDB
837:Stets besteche mit der höchsten Summe, die du zu zahlen bereit bist, auf der niedersten Ebene des Befehls. Groll ist Goldes wert, wenn Treue zum Verkauf steht. ~ Christopher Moore, #NFDB
838:You could be a rebel, a profound thinker, and a rock and roll maniac and still eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and drink a nice cup of tea with your friends. ~ Pamela Des Barres, #NFDB
839:Chialer, c'était bon quand on perdait au foot, qu'on vous racontait des histoires d'animaux héroïques, ou en entendant "Flower of Scotland" après l'heure de fermeture. ~ Ian Rankin, #NFDB
840:Dire que j'ai gâché des années de ma vie, que j'ai voulu mourir, que j'ai eu mon plus grand amour, pour une femme qui ne me plaisait pas, qui n’était pas mon genre! ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
841:hous vivons aux temps des assassins —“we live in days of assassins”—where evil is sought in lives more than good in order to justify a world with a bad conscience. ~ Fulton J Sheen, #NFDB
842:La perfection n'existe pas ; la comprendre est le triomphe de l'intelligence humaine ; la désirer pour la posséder est la plus dangereuse des folies.
P 29 ~ Alfred de Musset,#NFDB
843:La plupart des êtres humains ne se choisissent guère plus que les arbres qui ont poussé côte à côte et dont les branches se confondent par leur seule croissance. ~ Fran ois Mauriac, #NFDB
844:Les grandes personnes ne comprennent jamais rien toutes seules, et c’est fatigant, pour les enfants, de toujours et toujours leur donner des explications ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
845:Peu importaient les responsables au pouvoir, ils se contentaient de modifier l'agencement des transats sur le pont du Titanic, et personne ne se faisait d'illusions. ~ Ernest Cline, #NFDB
846:A tout moment, des phoques émergent et fixent la rive. Ils contrôlent que le monde est toujours en place, vérifient qu'ils ont bien fait de choisir les profondeurs. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
847:Je suis une âme en peine, une femme de trente ans, nerveuse, malheureuse, qui n'a pas les dérivatifs des hommes: passades, voyages, affaire, vanité, ambition. ~ Henry de Montherlant, #NFDB
848:Le Bouillon, c'est notre surveillant ; on l'appelle comme ça parce qu'il dit tout le temps : « Regardez moi bien dans les yeux », et dans le bouillon il y a des yeux. ~ Ren Goscinny, #NFDB
849:Les grandes personnes ne comprennent jamais rien toutes seules, et c'est fatigant, pour les enfants, de toujours et toujours leur donner des explications. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
850:L'expérience nous montre qu'aimer ce n'est point nous regarder l'un l'autre mais regarder ensemble dans la même direction.
-Terre des Hommes (1939) ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
851:Le XVIIe siècle a été le siècle des mathématiques, le XVIIIe celui des sciences physiques, et le XIXe celui de la biologie. Notre XXe siècle est le siècle de la peur. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
852:Mon sort est-il donc de passer ma vie entre des légitimistes fous, égoïstes et polis, adorant le passé, et des républicains fous, généreux et ennuyeux, adorant l’avenir ? ~ Stendhal, #NFDB
853:That was how I met her, in a bar in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, she was drinking and watching, and that was why I liked her, I thought she would be fun to have fun with. ~ James Baldwin, #NFDB
854:Toutes ces filles lui paraissaient d'étranges fleurs, artificieuses, s'appliquant à attirer par une débauche de parfums et de couleurs des essaims d'insectes féconds. ~ Ernst J nger, #NFDB
855:Grèce. Il a donné aux alliés des rapports détaillés sur les programmes germano-italiens conjoints sur les ovnis et la Vril de Maria Orsic. ~ Jean Maximillien De La Croix de Lafayette, #NFDB
856: La plupart des législateurs ont été des hommes bornés, que le hasard a mis à la tête des autres, et qui n'ont presque consulté que leurs préjugés et leurs fantaisies. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
857:L’Horton 229 Flying Wing allemand original à un entrepôt secret du gouvernement des États-Unis en dehors de Washington, DC. Il a été gardé ~ Jean Maximillien De La Croix de Lafayette, #NFDB
858:Peu d'être sont capables d'exprimer posément une opinion différente des préjugés de leur milieu. La plupart des êtres sont même incapables d'arriver à formuler une. ~ Albert Einstein, #NFDB
859:Si je crois en Dieu? Oui, quand je travaille. Quand je suis soumis et modeste, je me sens tellement aidé par quelqu'un qui me fait faire des choses qui me surpassent. ~ Henri Matisse, #NFDB
860:Tout le monde se fiche des "presque", Dante. Si les " presque" comptaient, toute la population adulte, hormis peut-être une ou deux bonnes sœurs, serait en prison. ~ Malorie Blackman, #NFDB
861: Depuis que je suis en Europe, mon cher Rhédi, j'ai vu bien des gouvernements : ce n'est pas comme en Asie, où les règles de la politique se trouvent partout les mêmes. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
862:Elle se laissait aller au bercement des mélodies et se sentait elle-même vibrer de tout son être comme si les archets des violons se fussent promenés sur ses nerfs. ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
863:La plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas."
("The devil's finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist.") ~ Charles Baudelaire,#NFDB
864:[T]he Famous Rules which the French call, Des Trois Unitez , or, The Three Unities, which ought to be observ'd in every Regular Play; namely, of Time, Place, and Action. ~ John Dryden, #NFDB
865:Une vie d’écriture m’a appris à me méfier des mots. Ceux qui paraissent les plus limpides sont souvent les plus traîtres. L’un de ces faux amis est justement « identité ». ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
866:Depuis des années, le grand formateur des consciences n’est plus l’école, elle aussi vendue au marché et aux idéologues, mais l’écran – la télévision, le net, le tweet. ~ Michel Onfray, #NFDB
867:Et l’angoisse obscure des heures qui passent a beau se faire chaque jour plus grande, Drogo s’obstine dans l’illusion que ce qui est important n’est pas encore commencé. ~ Dino Buzzati, #NFDB
868:Je n'ai plus d'amis, je n'ai que des complices. En revanche, leur nombre a augmenté, ils sont le genre humain, vous le premier. Celui qui est là est toujours le premier. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
869:Kunst sollte für alle sichtbar sein', hatte er mir erklärt. 'Denn sie ist ein Seelengeschenk des Malers. Was vor den Blicken anderer verborgen werden muss, ist wertlos. ~ Lucinda Riley, #NFDB
870:Le véritable lieu de naissance est celui où l'on a porté pour la première fois un coup d'oeil intelligent sur soi-même: mes premières patries ont été des livres. ~ Marguerite Yourcenar, #NFDB
871:Quand on nie le surnaturel, il n’est pas prudent de disserter sur des choses qui n’ont de sens que par lui, ni de s’occuper de la psychologie de ceux qui l’admettent. ~ Frithjof Schuon, #NFDB
872:Regardez autour de vous, enquêtez et écrivez. Ne perdez pas votre temps à des évidences. Ecrivez sur ce qui vous dérange, en particulier si cela ne dérange que vous. ~ Kathryn Stockett, #NFDB
873:Seine Gedanken oder plötzlichen Wünsche flogen wie die Laune des Meeres über das Wasser, mal hierhin, mal dorthin, und er lebte ununterbrochen in einer stillen Spannung. ~ Tove Jansson, #NFDB
874:[...] assurément, des aveugles seraient tout aussi bien fondés à nier l’existence de la lumière et à en tirer prétexte pour se vanter d’être supérieurs aux hommes normaux ! ~ Ren Gu non, #NFDB
875:C'est que les grands assassins ont toujours été des amoureux terribles... Leur puissance génésique correspond à leur puissance criminelle... Ils aiment comme ils tuent! ~ Octave Mirbeau, #NFDB
876:deux ou trois portes basses vomirent presque en même temps, et comme par bouffées, dans la cour, des nuées d’hommes hideux, hurlants et déguenillés. C’étaient les forçats. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
877:Ils achètent des choses toutes faites chez les marchands. Mais comme il n’existe point de marchands d’amis, les hommes n’ont plus d’amis. Si tu veux un ami, apprivoise-moi ! ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
878:Il y a des circonstances où l'on est
amené à faire des choix, donc à renoncer
à des choses auxquelles on tient, pour
aller vers ce que l'on a le plus à cœur. ~ Laurent Gounelle,#NFDB
879:Et voila le problème : même si nous nous tenons sur le même bout de trottoir baigné de soleil, nous évoluons dans des mondes a des milliers de kilomètres l'un de l'autre. ~ Lauren Oliver, #NFDB
880:In der Mitte des Romans angelangt kam ich zu dem Schluss, dass das, was zwei Leute einander nicht sagen, ein stärkeres Band zwischen ihnen schmiedet als Aufrichtigkeit. ~ Chuck Palahniuk, #NFDB
881:On résiste à l'invasion des armées; on ne résiste pas à l'invasion des idées.
(One resists the invasion of armies; one does not resist the invasion of ideas.) ~ Victor Hugo,#NFDB
882:J'apprécie que les cousins se comportent en cousins & se préoccupent les uns des autres. Car, en réalité, ce sont seulement des frères & sœurs un peu plus éloignés. ~ Jane Austen, #NFDB
883:Je crois encore au merveilleux en amour, je crois à la réalité des rêves, je crois aux héroïnes de la nuit, aux belles de nuit pénétrant dans les coeurs et dans les lits. ~ Robert Desnos, #NFDB
884:L'ancienneté, chez les punks, était signe de crédibilité et conférait prestige et avantages divers. Un des rares points communs entre punk rock et fonction publique. ~ Virginie Despentes, #NFDB
885:On croit que ce sont des choses extraordinaires. C'est comme le reste. Comme le reste, ça vous arrive. Ensuite ça vous est arrivé. Ça pourrait arriver à n'importe qui. ~ Marguerite Duras, #NFDB
886:Personne ne s'est demandé si ce grand calme préfigurait une tempête des sentiments affectifs ou s'il n'était que la preuve extérieure d'une certaine indifférence. ~ Jean Philippe Blondel, #NFDB
887:The most important questions of life are indeed, for the most part, really only problems of probability. —Pierre Simon Laplace, Theorie Analytique des Probabilit ´ es´ , 1812 ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
888:Ah! petit prince, j'ai compris, peu à peu, ainsi, ta petite vie mélancolique. Tu n'avais eu longtemps pour ta distraction que la douceur des couchers du soleil. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
889:Ces six personnes formaient le fond de la voiture, le côté de la société rentée, sereine et forte, des honnêtes gens autorisés qui ont de la Religion et des Principes. ~ Guy de Maupassant, #NFDB
890:Demander à la poésie du sentimentalisme ... ce n'est pas ça. Des mots rayonnants, des mots de lumière ... avec un rythme et une musique, voilà ce que c'est, la poésie. ~ Th ophile Gautier, #NFDB
891:Le propre des hommes forts n'est pas d'ignorer les hésitations et les doutes qui sont le fond commun de la nature humaine, mais seulement de les surmonter plus rapidement. ~ Maurice Druon, #NFDB
892:Qui que vousw soyez qui voulez cultiver, vivifier, édifier, attendrir, apaiser... mettez des livres partout.
[Ouverture du congrès littéraire international de 1878)] ~ Victor Hugo,#NFDB
893:tu es noeud de relations et rien d'autre. Et tu existes par tes liens. Tes liens existent par toi. Le temple existe par chacune des pierres.
(chapitre CLXXV) ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
894:Dazu bedarf es [...] vor allem des richtigen Namens. Ich meine, es ist ja nicht so, als bestellte man ein Taxi—bei einer Beschwörung kommt nicht einfach irgendwer! ~ Jonathan Stroud, #NFDB
895:Ecoute moi bien. La prochaine fois que ça t'arrive, qu'on insulte ta mère devant toi, la prochaine fois, je veux qu'on te ramène à la maison sur des brancards. Tu comprends ? ~ Romain Gary, #NFDB
896:la fréquence des supplices est toujours un signe de faiblesse ou de paresse dans le gouvernement. Il n'y a point de méchant qu'on ne pût rendre bon à quelque chose. ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau, #NFDB
897: "On s'étonne de ce qu'il n'y a presque jamais de changement dans le gouvernement des princes d'Orient. D'où vient cela, si ce n'est de ce qu'il est tyrannique et affreux ? ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
898:Tout grand port maritime offre, aux alentours de ses quais, le spectacle d’étrangers des plus bizarres et des plus hétéroclites. Même dans Broadway et Chesnut Streets, il ~ Herman Melville, #NFDB
899:Aber jeder Schatten ist im letzen doch auch Kind des Lichts, und nur wer Helles und Dunkles, Krieg und Frieden, Aufstieg und Niedergang erfahren, nur der hat wahrhaft gelebt. ~ Stefan Zweig, #NFDB
900:A la fin d'une vie, l'homme s'aperçoit qu'il a passé des années à s'assurer d'une seule vérité. Mais une
seule, si elle est évidente, suffit à la conduite d'une existence. ~ Albert Camus,#NFDB
901:Ce n'était pas un homme ni un pilote comme les autres. Il portait sur lui le reflet des éléments, de l'espace. Il semblait oint par l'huile et poudré par le pollen du monde. ~ Joseph Kessel, #NFDB
902:Dits par l'autre tout à l'heure ils l'irritaient et l'écoeuraient. Car les paroles d'amour, qui sont toujours les mêmes, prennent les goût des lèvres dont elles sortent. ~ Guy de Maupassant, #NFDB
903:Léon prit conscience cet hiver-là que le droit s'était changé en injustice et que l'injustice était devenue la loi ; la racaille dominait et la loi était faite par des escrocs. ~ Alex Capus, #NFDB
904:Martin, lui, pensa à Gabrielle. Elle était son énigme, son amour et sa blessure. Pour toujours et à jamais. Car il y a des douleurs dans la vie dont on ne peut pas guérir. ~ Guillaume Musso, #NFDB
905:Nous sommes trop vêtus de villes et de murs. Nous avons trop l'habitude de nous voir sous notre forme antinaturelle... Nous ne savons plus que nous sommes des animaux libres... ~ Jean Giono, #NFDB
906:Pour lui, le pinceau est un pendule entre ciel et terre, et l’art de la calligraphie la meilleure façon de se tenir en suspens entre le monde terrestre et celui des dieux. ~ Maxence Fermine, #NFDB
907:Voici notre fils, il est indocile et rebelle, il n'écoute pas notre voix, il est débauché et ivrogne; et tous les hommes de sa ville le lapideront avec des pierres, et il mourra ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
908:avait déguisé des noms peut-être illustres, si toutefois les porteurs de ces noms d'emprunt ne les avaient pas choisis eux-mêmes le jour où, par caprice, par mécontentement ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
909:Il dit qu'on est faits l'un pour l'autre, parce qu'il est né avec une fleur et moi un papillon, et que les fleurs et les papillons ont besoin les uns des autres pour survivre. ~ Gemma Malley, #NFDB
910:Je ne savais pas trop quoi dire. Je me sentais très maladroit. Je ne savais comment l'atteindre, où le rejoindre... C'est tellement mystérieux, le pays des larmes. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
911:— Le professeur Lyall colporte des ragots ?
Alexia arracha son regard du corps du comte pour regarder son visage.
— Comme une vieille commère sur la place de l’église. ~ Gail Carriger,#NFDB
912:Lorsque les pirogues regagnèrent le navire, leur chasse terminée, les Blancs virent qu’il était tombé aux mains meurtrières des sauvages qui faisaient partie de l’équipage. ~ Herman Melville, #NFDB
913:Mes chers frères, n'oubliez jamais, quand vous entendrez vanter le progrès des lumières, que la plus belle des ruses du Diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas ! ~ Charles Baudelaire, #NFDB
914:Quiconque combat des monstres doit s'ssurer qu'il ne devient pas lui-mEme un monstre, car, lorsque tu regardes au fond de l'abime, l'abime aussi regarde au fond de toi. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
915:C’est tellement mystérieux,le pays des larmes.»
«Les yeux sont aveugles.Il faut chercher avec le coeur. »
«Le coeur a desraison que la raison ne connait pas.» ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
916:Dis Papa, c'est quoi le mal?
C'est la bêtise des hommes qui parfois vont se perdre
Dans de sentiers de pierre
Et prennent des cailloux pour les lancer en l'air ~ Philippe Claudel,#NFDB
917:Ich glaube, daß es geistig ungesunde Orte oder Gebäude gibt, wo die Milch des Kosmos sauer und ranzig geworden ist. Diese Kirche ist ein solcher Ort, darauf könnte ich schwören ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
918:Ich glaube, ich habe gelächelt. Trotzdem sagte sie: »Wir können nicht die Vergangenheit des anderen besitzen, Jan Olav. Die Frage ist, ob wir eine gemeinsame Zukunft haben.« ~ Jostein Gaarder, #NFDB
919:(Il est à noter que le propre des idées autosuggérées est d’exister en nous à notre insu et que nous ne pouvons savoir qu’elles y existent que par les effets qu’elles produisent.) ~ mile Cou, #NFDB
920:Il est mort, tue qu il a ete, quelque temps plus tard, en sortant d un village qu on avait pris pour un autre, par des Français qui nous avaient pris pour des autres. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
921: Le crime et la folie ont quelque similitude. Voir les prisonniers de la Conciergerie au préau, ou voir des fous dans le jardin d'une maison de santé, c'est une même chose. ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
922:[O]b dies das eigentliche Ende des Gefangenendilemmas sei: wenn Richter und Angeklagte sich in die Arme fielen, um gemeinsam über einen Repräsentanten der alten Ordnung zu spotten. ~ Juli Zeh, #NFDB
923:Que sont les fantasmes ? Des rêves dont nous nous servons pour nous préserver de la réalité. Notre monde est un plancher rigide qui nous casse le dos si on dort à même le sol. ~ Marisha Pessl, #NFDB
924:Beaucoup de gens aiment mieux nier les dénouements, que de mesurer la force des liens, des noeuds, des attaches qui soudent secrètement un fait à un autre dans l'ordre moral. ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
925:Ceux qui arrivent à entrer un court instant dans la vie des autres peuvent avoir plus d'importance que ceux qui y sont installés depuis des années. (Rosa Candida, p.136) ~ Au ur Ava lafsd ttir, #NFDB
926:Hutte répétait qu'au fond, nous sommes tous des "des hommes des plages" et que "le sable - je cite ses propre termes - ne garde que quelques secondes l'empreinte de nos pas". ~ Patrick Modiano, #NFDB
927:I am delighted at Des's support in these elections. And thank him for his rewrite of the lyrics of Send in the Clowns which we are planning to sing at our South East conference. ~ Nigel Farage, #NFDB
928:Je lisais … comme toujours lorsqu’on est emporté par la magie d’une histoire bien racontée ou la simple ivresse de se reconnaître à travers des mots plus habiles que les siens. ~ Gabrielle Roy, #NFDB
929:Je n'étais pas une enfant aimable, et je suis devenue une adulte profondément mal aimable. Si on voulait dessiner mon âme, on obtiendrait un gribouillis avec des crocs pointus. ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
930:La terre nous en apprend plus sur nous que tous les livres. Parce qu'elle nous résiste. L'homme se découvre quand il se mesure avec l'obstacle.
(Terre des hommes) ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
931:Manchmal denke ich, das Erwachsenwerden ist nur dazu da: die Verluste und Schäden der Anfänge zu reparieren. Und die Versprechen des Kindes zu halten, das wir gewesen sind. ~ Delphine de Vigan, #NFDB
932:Das ganze Zeitalter betet das Geld, die Ordnung, das Wissen, Rechnen, Messen und Wägen, alles in allem also den Geist des Geldes und seiner Verwandten an und beklagt es zugleich. ~ Robert Musil, #NFDB
933:[E]r gibt uns das Gefühl, weniger einsam zu sein in dieser Sackgasse im Dienste der Großen-Eitelkeit-Idealismus-Realismus-Spiritualismus-Materialismus des Abendlandes, G.m.b.H. ~ Julio Cort zar, #NFDB
934:Je crois bien que j'aime me moquer un petit peu des filles quand l'occasion s'en présente mais c'est curieux, les filles que je préfère j'ai jamais envie de m'en moquer vraiment. ~ J D Salinger, #NFDB
935:L'action des femmes n'a jamais été qu'une agitation symbolique; elles n'ont gagné que ce que les hommes ont bien voulu leur concéder; elles n'ont rien pris: elles ont reçu. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
936:L’Africain a été le premier homme sur la Terre, les autres races ne sont venues qu'après. Tous les hommes sont donc des immigrés, sauf les Africains qui sont chez eux ici-bas. ~ Alain Mabanckou, #NFDB
937:La vérité est comme un joyau taillé, monsieur Smith. Elle a des millions de facettes. Si je t’en montre une, tu seras satisfait, mais n’oublie pas qu’il en existe bien d’autres. — ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
938:Le communisme n'enlève à personne le pouvoir de s'approprier sa part des produits sociaux, il n'ôte que le pouvoir d'assujettir, à l'aide de cette appropriation, le travail d'autrui ~ Karl Marx, #NFDB
939:Longtemps dans la poussière, écrasée, asservie, Sous la religion l’on vit ramper la vie ; Horrible, secouant sa tête dans les cieux, Planait sur les mortels l’épouvantail des dieux. ~ Lucretius, #NFDB
940:Bei uns wird nur selten eine Mariage geschlossen, wo nicht wenigstens ein halb Dutzend der Gäste - oder der Aufwärter- das Paradies des Bräutigams geometrisch ermessen kann. ~ Friedrich Schiller, #NFDB
941:Das Einzige, was ihn tröstet, ist, nicht zu wissen, wann er sterben wird, ob in zwanzig Minuten oder in zwanzig Jahren. Die Ungewissheit der Zeit gegen die Gewissheit des Todes. ~ Benedict Wells, #NFDB
942:Der moralische Einfluß nimmt da seinen Anfang, wo die Demütigung beginnt, ja er ist nichts anderes, als diese Demütigung selbst, die Brechung und Beugung des Mutes zur Demut herab. ~ Max Stirner, #NFDB
943:La mémoire de la plupart des hommes est un cimetière abandonné, où gisent sans honneurs des morts qu'ils ont cessé de chérir. Toute douleur prolongée insulte à leur oubli. ~ Marguerite Yourcenar, #NFDB
944:Le passé et le présent sont deux statues incomplètes: l'une a été retirée toute mutilée du débris des âges, l'autre n'a pas encore reçu sa perfection de l'avenir. ~ Fran ois Ren de Chateaubriand, #NFDB
945:Les femmes ne sont pas solidaires en tant que sexe : elles sont d’abord liées à leur classe. Les intérêts des bourgeoises et ceux des femmes prolétaires ne se recoupent pas. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
946:Paissez, bons peuples,
L'appel de l'honneur ne vous réveillera pas.
Les cadeaux de la liberté
Ne sont rien pour des troupeaux.
Ils doivent être abattus ou tondus. ~ Alexander Pushkin,#NFDB
947:Aufgearbeitet wäre die Vergangenheit erst dann, wenn die Ursachen des Vergangenen beseitigt wären. Nur weil die Ursachen fortbestehen, ward sein Bann bis heute nicht gebrochen. ~ Theodor W Adorno, #NFDB
948:Cette nuit j'ai mal dormi. Plusieurs fois je me suis réveillé. Une phrase insistait dans mon crâne. Elle disait ceci: même dans l'enfer, et nous y sommes, il y a des merveilles. ~ Christian Bobin, #NFDB
949:Et en quoi une vie a-t-elle besoin d'être justifiée ? La totalité des animaux, l'écrasante majorité des hommes vivent sans jamais éprouver le moindre besoin de justification. ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
950:Il n'y a pas de hasard, il n'y a que des méchancetés du sort et ses perfidies, préparées de longue main, n'ont cette apparence fortuite que parce que les dessous nous en échappent. ~ Julien Green, #NFDB
951:Je pleure des larmes sèches, se dit-il, je suis un homme sec. Il aurait voulu disparaître, lui aussi. Pour la première fois de sa vie, il préférait quelqu'un d'autre à lui-même. ~ Pierre Lemaitre, #NFDB
952:Les rencontres nous signent. Nous devenons des livres d'or. Nous apprenons à parler des mots donnés par nos aimés. Quand il la revoit, "sa voix avait des plis comme la soie". ~ Marie Darrieussecq, #NFDB
953:L'imagination est la reine du vrai, et le possible est une des provinces du vrai. Imagination is the queen of the truth and the possible is one of the provinces of the truth. ~ Charles Baudelaire, #NFDB
954:Vous pensiez que l'innocence suffirait à vous délivrer des filets d'un système juridique dont nous sommes toujours fiers, mais qui en ces temps de guerre est devenu une aberration. ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
955:Der Krieg ist nichts als eine Fortsetzung des politischen Verkehrs mit Einmischung anderer Mittel. War is merely the continuation of policy with the admixture of other means. ~ Carl von Clausewitz, #NFDB
956:In Begleitung von erlesenen Schmerzen.« Rincewind zögerte. Er war ziemlich sicher, die Bedeutung des Wortes ›erlesen‹ zu kennen, und es gehörte nicht in die Nähe von ›Schmerzen‹. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
957:La poésie se fait dans un lit comme l’amour
Ses draps défaits sont l’aurore des choses
(English) Poetry is made in bed like love
Its unmade sheets are the dawn of things ~ Andr Breton,#NFDB
958:L'Eglise a un bon estomac, elle a dévoré des pays entiers sans jamais cependant avoir d'indigestion. L'Eglise seule, mes chères dames, peut digérer un bien mal acquis. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, #NFDB
959:Les tropiques sont certainement une maladie. Les maladies tropicales sont, pour la plupart, guérissables mais, des tropiques eux-mêmes, des gens comme nous ne peuvent jamais guérir. ~ S ndor M rai, #NFDB
960:Nous avons vu des astres
Et des flots, nous avons vu des sables aussi;
Et, malgré bien des chocs et d'imprévus désastres,
Nous nous sommes souvent ennuyés, comme ici. ~ Charles Baudelaire,#NFDB
961:Si la souffrance des enfants sert à parfaire la somme des douleurs nécessaires à l'acquisition de la vérité, j'affirme d'ores et déjà que cette vérité ne vaut pas un tel prix. ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky, #NFDB
962:Un dénonciateur a affirmé qu'«AUTEC est l'une de ces deux bases militaires secrètes travaillant sur les technologies militaires des 21e et 22e siècles.» ~ Jean Maximillien De La Croix de Lafayette, #NFDB
963:Wysoko na niebie biała chmura formuje się w kształt swastyki (...)Znak opatrzności!?
(Droben am Himmel formt sich eine weiße Wolke zum Hakenkreuz. Ein Zeichen des Schicksals?) ~ Joseph Goebbels,#NFDB
964:Auch das praktische Leben ist ein schwarzes Loch, das uns in den Tod führt. Revolution, Anarchie, Freiheit sind der Lohn des Denkens. Sie haben nur einen einzigen Thron, unseren Kopf. ~ Luis Bu uel, #NFDB
965:[...] d’ailleurs nous ne pouvons nous empêcher de constater que, comme tous les propagandistes, les apôtres de la tolérance sont très souvent, en fait, les plus intolérants des hommes. ~ Ren Gu non, #NFDB
966:Das verzweifelte Nichtsterbenwollen ist der sicherste Weg zum ewigen Tode, während Sterbenkönnen, Hüllenabstreifen, ewige Hingabe des Ichs an die Wandlung führt zur Unsterblichkeit. ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
967:Dem Geiste, der nach langem Mühen die Welt los geworden ist, dem weltlosen Geiste, bleibt nach dem Verluste der Welt und des Weltlichen nichts übrig, als - der Geist und das Geistige. ~ Max Stirner, #NFDB
968:En fin de compte, la voie du bonheur revient à choisir entre l'inconfort de prendre conscience des afflictions mentales et l'inconfort d'être gouverné par elles (page 399) ~ Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, #NFDB
969:Le bonheur est cette danse où l'on s'approche et l'on s'écarte sans se perdre. Il est même fait des larmes des longues séparations à condition que viennent les retrouvailles. ~ Timoth e de Fombelle, #NFDB
970:Le Poète est semblable au prince des nuées
Qui hante la tempête et se rit de l’archer;
Exilé sur le sol au milieu des huées,
Ses ailes de géant l’empêchent de marcher. ~ Charles Baudelaire,#NFDB
971:Le Poëte est semblable au prince des nuées
Qui hante la tempête et se rit de l'archer;
Exilé sur le sol au milieu des huées,
Ses ailes de géant l'empêchent de marcher. ~ Charles Baudelaire,#NFDB
972:Mitleid mit den Thieren hängt mit der Güte des Charakters so genau zusammen, daß man zuversichtlich behaupten darf, wer gegen Thiere grausam ist, könne kein guter Mensch seyn. ~ Arthur Schopenhauer, #NFDB
973:qu’il n’y a que les gens malheureux, pour mettre la souffrance des humbles de plain-pied avec la leur… Il y a toujours de l’insolence et de la distance dans la bonté des heureux !… ~ Octave Mirbeau, #NFDB
974:Si tienes miedo, dímelo. Si necesitas llorar y gritar, entonces hazlo. Y no me des la espalda porque pienses que es lo mejor para mí. La realidad es que deseo estar a tu lado, Echo. ~ Katie McGarry, #NFDB
975:Attention :
A la guerre
Comme en temps de paix,
L'égoïsme aveugle
Fait plus de victimes
Que tous les autres fléaux
Semence de la Terre : le Livre des Vivants ~ Octavia E Butler,#NFDB
976:Ein Rezensent kommt mir manchmal vor wie der Mann, der eine Wolke beobachtet und ihr übelnimmt, daß sie nicht die Gestalt des Kamels angenommen hat, das er jeden Tag im Spiegel sieht. ~ Arno Schmidt, #NFDB
977:La règle d'or de la conduite est la tolérance mutuelle, car nous ne penserons jamais tous de la même façon, nous ne verrons qu'une partie de la vérité et sous des angles différents. ~ Mahatma Gandhi, #NFDB
978:Vous ne pouvez jamais être sûr que les gens sont vraiment … des gens. Par contre votre fusil est toujours bel et bien votre fusil. c’est au moins un truc sur lequel vous pouvez compter ~ Rick Yancey, #NFDB
979:Créer des morts conscientes, c'est diminuer la distance qui nous sépare du monde, et entrer sans joie dans l'accomplissement, conscient des images exaltantes d'un monde à jamais perdu. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
980:Jedenfalls fiel der Stein mit einem ekelerregendem Geräusch - wir konnten das deutlich vernehmen - direkt auf dem Kopf des Kätzchens und verspritzte dessen Gehirn nach allen Richtungen. ~ Bram Stoker, #NFDB
981:Meine Mittelmäßigkeit erkennen, nicht in geißelnder Selbstverachtung, nicht im Bekennerhochmut, sondern als Gefahr für die Integrität des Handels, wenn ich sie aus den Augen lasse. ~ Dag Hammarskj ld, #NFDB
982:On aime, on est aimé, bonheur qui manque aux rois! On écoute le chant des oiseaux dans les bois Le matin, on s'éveille, et toute une famille Vous embrasse, une mère, une soeur, une fille! ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
983:Si no quieres que un hombre se sienta políticamente desgraciado, no le enseñes dos aspectos de una misma cuestión, para preocuparle; enséñale sólo uno. O, mejor aún, no le des ninguno. ~ Ray Bradbury, #NFDB
984:Son front, quoique peu ridé, semble porter le sceau d'une myriade d'années. Ses cheveux gris sont des archives du passé et ses yeux, plus gris encore, sont des sibylles de l'avenir. ~ Edgar Allan Poe, #NFDB
985:Ce II siècle m'interesse parce qu'il fut, pour un temps fort long, celui des derniers hommes libres. Ence qui nous concerne, nous sommes peut-être déjà fort loin de ce temps-là. ~ Marguerite Yourcenar, #NFDB
986:Dans la vie on n'a qu'un seul grand amour et tous ceux qui précèdent sont des amours de rodage et tous ceux qui suivent sont des amours de rattrapage ; c'est maintenant ou jamais. ~ Fr d ric Beigbeder, #NFDB
987:Die richtige Funktionsweise des Universums, so behaupteten sie, basiere auf dem Gleichgewicht von vier Elementarkräften: Zauber, Überzeugungskraft, Ungewißheit und Verdammte Sturheit ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
988:Eines der Grundvergnügen der Menschheit besteht darin, in einem Bett unter eine Decke zu liegen, die jeden Quadratzentimeter des eigenen Körpers inklusive des Kopfes unter sich birgt. ~ Clemens J Setz, #NFDB
989:La plupart du temps, faute de s'attacher à des mots, mes pensées restent des brouillards. Elles dessinent des formes vagues et plaisantes, s'engloutissent : aussitôt, je les oublie. ~ Jean Paul Sartre, #NFDB
990:- Ma mère m'a gavé d'histoires d'amour idéal, c'est un lourd handicap que d'avoir des idéaux.
- Pourquoi ?
- Ça place la barre très haut.
- Pour l’autre ?
- Non, pour soi-même. ~ Marc Levy,#NFDB
991:O glücklich, wer noch hoffen kann,
aus diesem Meer des Irrtums aufzutauchen!
Was man nicht weiß, das eben brauchte man,
und was man weiß, kann man nicht brauchen. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,#NFDB
992:Si je désire fonder en toi la pente vers la mer, je décris le navire en marche, les nuits d'étoiles et l'empire que se taille une île dans la mer par le miracle des étoiles. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
993:Warten ist Gegenwart. Das generelle Verhältnis des Menschen zur Zeit. Warten zeichnet Gottes Umrisse an die Wand. Warten ist jenes Durchgangsstadium, das wir als unsere Existenz bezeichnen! ~ Juli Zeh, #NFDB
994:Aber vielleicht war es das alles zugleich, unter Vernachlässigung des Gesetzes des ausgeschlossenen Dritten und zur ewigen Beschämung derjenigen, die glaubten, etwas davon zu verstehen. ~ Harry Mulisch, #NFDB
995:Quand elles en eurent assez d'avoir attendu, les odeurs du dîner descendirent des rideaux et s'échappèrent par les fenêtres de l'hôtel pour aller danser sur la mer jusqu'au petit matin. ~ Arundhati Roy, #NFDB
996:Ce monde d’objets révèle de façon spectaculaire la partie non mortelle des êtres mortels. Tout se passe comme si la stabilité du monde se faisait transparente dans la permanence de l’art ~ Hannah Arendt, #NFDB
997:In another paradox that des Esseintes would have appreciated, it seems we may best be able to inhabit a place when we are not faced with the additional challenge of having to be there. ~ Alain de Botton, #NFDB
998:J’ai lu des millions de plaisanteries sur l’ignorance des anciens qui voyaient des esprits partout : il me semble que nous sommes beaucoup plus sots, nous qui n’en voyons nulle part. ~ Joseph de Maistre, #NFDB
999:Pourquoi faut-il que ces projets charmants ne soient qu'un chimère de mon imagination, que la réalité ne m'offre au contraire que des privations douloureuses et indéfinies ? ~ Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, #NFDB
1000:slip out of Des’s arms, looking around me. “What is this place?” “Barbos, the City of Thieves.” Of course Des rules over an island fondly known as the City of Thieves. We start walking, ~ Laura Thalassa, #NFDB
1001:Un homme, au contraire, ne devait-il pas tout connaître, exceller en des activités multiples, vous initier aux énergies de la passion, aus raffinements de la vie, à tous les mystères? ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
1002:Après l'âge des légendes vient l'âge des ténèbres. Comme un fœtus qui évolue. Puis vient l'âge de la sagesse – bien que certains mondes ne parviennent jamais à sortir de l'âge des ténèbres. ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
1003:En el Bois des Fausses–Reposes*, al pie de la costa de Picardía, vivía un muy agraciado lobo adulto de negro pelaje y grandes ojos rojos. Se llamaba Denis, y su distracción favorita consistía ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1004:J’ai été enterré sous les morts ; mais, maintenant, je suis enterré sous des vivants, sous des actes, sous des faits, sous la société tout entière, qui veut me faire rentrer sous terre! ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
1005:Le vieillard: Maintenant... vous voyez aussi les morts.
Pierre: Comment les distingue-t-on des vivants?
Le vieillard: C'est bien simple: les vivants, eux, sonts toujours pressés. ~ Jean Paul Sartre,#NFDB
1006:Parmis tous les passagers, je ne remarquais qu'elle. Elle et tout ce qu'elle faisait. Ses moindres gestes. Les autres voyageurs n'étaient pour moi que des masques. Elle était le seul visage. ~ Fabio Volo, #NFDB
1007:Pour Juan Diego, des morts ou des fantômes auraient dû avoir une toute autre attitude, surtout dans une église. Que venaient-ils chercher ? Ne connaissaient-ils pas les réponses désormais ? ~ John Irving, #NFDB
1008:She [Mme des Laumes] belonged to that half of the human race in whom the curiosity the other half feels about the people it does not know is replaced by an interest in the people it does. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
1009:Soyez sûrs qu’une longue patience, que des chagrins jalousement cachés ont formé, affiné, durci cette femme dont on s’écrie ‘elle est en acier !’ Elle est ‘en femme’, simplement, et cela suffit ~ Colette, #NFDB
1010:...und ich glaube, dass früher oder später jeder einmal diese Dunkelheit herausfordern will. Trotz des zerbrechlichen Körpers, in den irgendein Witzbold von Gott uns Menschen gesteckt hat. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
1011:Au-dessus des étangs, au-dessus des vallées,
Des montagnes, des bois, des nuages, des mers,
Par delà le soleil, par delà les éthers,
Par delà les confins des sphères étoilées ~ Charles Baudelaire,#NFDB
1012:Elle ne les a pas quittés des yeux, persuadée que personne ne pourrait les protéger aussi bien qu'elle.
Depuis qu'ils sont nés, elle a peur de tout. Surtout, elle a peur qu'ils meurent. ~ Le la Slimani,#NFDB
1013:Le bonheur est comme ces palais des îles enchantées dont les dragons gardent les portes. Il faut combattre pour le conquérir.
Alexandre Dumas, Le comte de Monte-Cristo, chapitre 5 ~ Alexandre Dumas,#NFDB
1014:Mais Turandot sort brusquement de son bistrot et, du bas des marches, il lui crie :
"Eh petite, où vas-tu comme ça ?"
Zazie ne lui rèpond pas, elle se contente d'allonger le pas. ~ Raymond Queneau,#NFDB
1015:Si hi havia una cosa que sabia de debò, des de la boca de l'estómac al moll de l'os, des del cap fins a les plantes dels peus […], era que l'amor dóna als altres el poder de destruir-te. ~ Stephenie Meyer, #NFDB
1016:Si vous avez l’impression que vous êtes trop petit pour pouvoir changer quelque chose, essayez donc de dormir avec un moustique et vous verrez lequel des deux empêchera l’autre de dormir. ~ Dalai Lama XIV, #NFDB
1017:Tu sais... quand on est tellement triste on aime les couchers de soleil... -Le jour des quarante-trois fois tu étais donc tellement triste? Mais le petit prince ne répondit pas. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
1018: «Voici les livres de science, ou plutôt d'ignorance occulte; tels sont ceux qui contiennent quelque espèce de diablerie : exécrables, selon la plupart des gens, pitoyables, selon moi. Tels ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
1019:Aprende que las amenazas no son sólo palabras y que las heridas no son sólo golpes, Azahara. Quizás entonces te des cuentas de todas las mentiras que te estás repitiendo cada maldito día. ~ Beatriz Esteban, #NFDB
1020:Der Punkt ist, dass Feldexkursionen häufig eher ein Versuch des Forschers sind, eigene, sehr persönliche Probleme zu lösen, als dass sie dem Bemühen entspringen andere Kulturen zu verstehen. ~ Nigel Barley, #NFDB
1021:Il faut longtemps cultiver un ami avant qu'il réclame son dû d'amitié. Il faut s'être ruiné durant des générations à réparer le vieux château qui croule, pour apprende à l'aimer. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
1022:Le génie n'est qu'un prêt: il faut le mériter par de grandes souffrances, par des épreuves modestement, fermement traversées; on finit par entendre des voix et l'on écrit sous la dictée. ~ Jean Paul Sartre, #NFDB
1023:Odi et amo. Quare id faciam, fortasse requiris. Nescio. des fieri sentio et excrucior.
I hate and I love. You may ask, why I do this. I do not know. But I sense that I do and it pains me. ~ Catullus,#NFDB
1024:Pensée d’un philosophe polonais
Il y a des gens formidables
Qu’on rencontre au mauvais moment.
Et il y a des gens qui sont formidables
Parce qu’on les rencontre au bon moment. ~ David Foenkinos,#NFDB
1025:Dans le fond des forêts votre image me suit.
La lumière du jour, les ombres de la nuit,
Tout retrace à mes yeux les charmes que j'évite.
Tout vous livre à l'envi le rebelle Hippolyte. ~ Jean Racine,#NFDB
1026:Il est certain que le plus sûr moyen de connaître le bonheur serait de contrôler nos pensées. La félicité ne dépend pas des conditions extérieures, elle est régie par notre attitude mentale. ~ Dale Carnegie, #NFDB
1027:Im allgemeinen soll aber nie vergessen werden, daß nicht die Erhaltung eines Staates oder gar die einer Regierung höchster Zweck des Daseins der Menschen ist, sondern die Bewahrung ihrer Art. ~ Adolf Hitler, #NFDB
1028:Des jours durant, j'ai tenté d'ignorer la voix de mon cœur, mais elle s'est faite de plus en plus puissante. Dans le recoin le plus caché de mon âme, j'existais encore et je croyais aux rêves. ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
1029:Hélas, certaines personnes sont plus attachées au respect des règlements qu’à l’intelligence de s’y dérober parfois. C’est fou comme les réglementations rassurent ceux qui manquent d’imagination. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
1030:La vérité, vous la dites, et elle vous attire des claques ou des félicitations. Et le pire c'est que, dans un cas comme dans l'autre, personne ne vous croit.
La vérité, c'est incroyable. ~ Christian Bobin,#NFDB
1031:Même le photographe le plus incroyablement talentueux n'aurait pas été en mesure de prendre des photos magnifiques sans le talent incroyable de la nature qui crée des choses magnifiques! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
1032:Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington -- it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. ...This is your victory. ~ Barack Obama, #NFDB
1033:Tu sais… quand on est tellement triste on aime les couchers de soleil…
-Le jour des quarante-trois fois tu étais donc tellement triste? Mais le petit prince ne répontit pas. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
1034:Voilà Dvora, je sens des abeilles dans mon sang, un ours dans mon cœur, chaque battement est une patte qui démolit la ruche. Elle me donne sa main et moi je sais que je ne la lui rendrai plus. ~ Erri De Luca, #NFDB
1035:Vous ne choisissez pas votre vie, c'est elle qui vous choisit . Et qu 'elle vous ait réservé des joies ou des tristesses , cela dépasse votre compréhension . acceptez-les et allez de l avant . ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
1036:Bei einem Volk von der Art des unsrigen”, trug ich vor, “ist das Seelische immer das Primäre und eigentlich Motivierende; die politische Aktion ist zweiter Ordnung, Reflex, Ausdruck, Instrument. ~ Thomas Mann, #NFDB
1037:Comprendre n'est pas justifier, l'empathie autorise cette distinction et l'intelligence permet, par la compréhension, d'adopter une position critique nous permettant de chercher des solutions. ~ Tariq Ramadan, #NFDB
1038:Il en doit être des troupes à peu près comme d'une eau courante. De même que l'eau qui coule évite les hauteurs et se hâte vers le pays plat, de même une armée évite la force et frappe la faiblesse. ~ Sun Tzu, #NFDB
1039:Irgendwie drängt sich auch dem ganz einfachen Gemüt die Ahnung auf, daß sein Leben in einen ewigen Kreislauf geschaltet, und daß der Tod des einzelnen gar kein so bedeutungsvolles Ereignis ist. ~ Ernst J nger, #NFDB
1040:J’existe. C’est doux, si doux, si lent. Et léger: on dirait que ça tient en l’air tout seul. Ça remue. Ce sont des effleurements partout qui fondent et s’évanouissent. Tout doux, tout doux. ~ Jean Paul Sartre, #NFDB
1041:La plupart des voyages dont on rêve n'ont jamais lieu. Ou alors on les accomplit intérieurement. L'avantage, quand on emprunte ces vols intérieurs, c'est qu'on a de la place pour les jambes. ~ Henning Mankell, #NFDB
1042:Les grands voyages ont ceci de merveilleux que leur enchantement commence avant le départ même. On ouvre les atlas, on rêve sur les cartes. On répète les noms magnifiques des villes inconnues. ~ Joseph Kessel, #NFDB
1043:That’s what you taught me - we don’t have to accept destiny or Des Tiny. We can create our own future, all of us. We have the power to rule our lives - we just have to make the choice to use it. ~ Darren Shan, #NFDB
1044:Tous les chagrins sont méprisants, imprenables, perchés à des hauteurs que personne ne peux rejoindre. Peut-être a-t-on trop peur qu'une consolation efface ce qu'il reste des souvenirs. ~ Timoth e de Fombelle, #NFDB
1045:À compter de ce moment, Hermione devint amie avec Ron et Harry. Il se crée des liens particuliers lorsqu’on fait ensemble certaines choses. Abattre un troll de quatre mètres de haut, par exemple. ~ J K Rowling, #NFDB
1046:Aucune circonstance ne réveille en nous un étranger dont nous n'aurions rien soupçonné. Vivre, c'est naître lentement. Il serait un peu trop aisé d'emprunter des âmes toutes faites ! ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
1047:Cette femme avait des étonnements d'enfant pour les moindres choses. Il y avait des jours où elle courait dans le jardin, comme une fille de dix ans, après un papillon ou une demoiselle. ~ Alexandre Dumas fils, #NFDB
1048:Dans vingt ans, vous serez plus déçu par les choses que vous n'avez pas faites que par celles que vous avez faites. Alors sortez des sentiers battus. Mettez les voiles. Explorez. Rêvez. Découvrez. ~ Mark Twain, #NFDB
1049:Es war Sonntagvormittag. Draußen regnete es Peitschenhiebe. Die Bürger des Landes wurden wieder einmal klimatisch dafür bestraft, dass sie im Wohlstand lebten und trotzdem unzufrieden waren. ~ Daniel Glattauer, #NFDB
1050:Quand tous les jours sont ainsi semblables les uns aux autres, c'est que les gens ont cessé de s'apercevoir des bonnes choses qui se présentent dans leur vie tant que le soleil traverse le ciel. ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
1051:Să-ți faci puțini prieteni. Din tine nu ieși
Căci prea des falsitatea credința ne-o înfrânge.
Când ți se-ntinde-o mână, 'nainte de-a o strânge,
Gândește-te că poate te va lovi-ntr-o zi. ~ Omar Khayy m,#NFDB
1052:Tout se passe comme si, dans le village, les femmes faisaient des enfants pour devenir des femmes, sinon elles n'en sont pas vraiment. Elles sont considérées comme des lesbiennes, des frigides. ~ douard Louis, #NFDB
1053:Wie Manche, die am Hals des Freundes hängt,
Sagt wohl das Wort: sie lieb' ihn, o so sehr,
Daß sie vor Liebe gleich ihn essen könnte;
Und hinterher, das Wort beprüft, die Närrinn! ~ Heinrich von Kleist,#NFDB
1054:« Au moment où le sujet meurt, Satan propose son marché. La vie sauve contre une totale soumission. La promesse de faire le mal. On appelle cette « transaction » le Serment des Limbes. » ~ Jean Christophe Grang, #NFDB
1055:Dans vingt ans, vous serez plus déçus par les choses que vous n'avez pas faites que par celles que vous avez faites. Alors sortez des sentiers battus. Mettez les voiles. Explorez. Rêvez. Découvrez. ~ Mark Twain, #NFDB
1056:Il faut, voyez-vous, nous pardonner les choses:
De cette façon nous serons bien heureuses
Et si notre vie a des instants moroses
Du moins nous serons, n'est-ce pas ? deux pleureuses. ~ Paul Verlaine,#NFDB
1057:Nous ne nous contentons pas de la vie que nous avons en nous et en notre propre être. Nous voulons vivre dans l’idée des autres d’une vie imaginaire, et nous nous efforçons pour cela de paraître ~ Blaise Pascal, #NFDB
1058:On ne peut pas chanter comme ça, uniquement pour faire plaisir à l'autre, aussi cher soit-il, non, le chant doit venir du cœur, voilà ce que je dis toujours, couler de source, comme des merles. ~ Samuel Beckett, #NFDB
1059:Russia is a name usurped by the Muscovites. They are not Slavs; they do not belong to the Indo-Germanic race at all, they are des intrus [intruders], who must be chased back across the Dnieper, etc. ~ Karl Marx, #NFDB
1060:Cet audacieux dont on s'est moqué, a des procédés fort sages, et si ses oeuvres ont un aspect particulier, elles ne le doivent qu'à la façon toute personnelle dont il aperçoit et traduit les objets. ~ mile Zola, #NFDB
1061:Des, who brought me things I wanted (tulips, wine) to make me do the things he wanted (love him). Nick just wanted me to be happy, that's all, very pure. Maybe I mistook that for laziness. ~ Gillian Flynn, #NFDB
1062:Fabrice, de son côté, croyait qu'un homme de son rang était au-dessus des lois; il ne calculait pas que dans les pays où les grands noms ne sont jamais punis, l'intrigue peut tout, même contre eux. Il ~ Stendhal, #NFDB
1063:La tombe était refermée, la trouée blanche se trouvait à jamais bouchée par ces quelques planches noires d’humidité, vertes de mousse, sur lesquelles les escargots avaient pleuré des larmes d’argent. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1064:Le jeu misérable des passions est si simple qu'un adolescent le possède à sa première intrigue : Raymond n'avait eu besoin d'aucun conseil pour se résoudre « à la laisser cuire dans son jus ». ~ Fran ois Mauriac, #NFDB
1065:N'employer pour vaincre que la voie des sièges et des batailles, c'est ignorer également et les devoirs de souverain et ceux de général ; c'est ne pas savoir gouverner ; c'est ne pas savoir servir État ~ Sun Tzu, #NFDB
1066:Quiconque lutte contre des monstres devrait prendre garde, dans le combat, à ne pas devenir monstre lui-même. Et quant à celui qui scrute le fond de l'abysse, l'abysse le scrute à son tour. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
1067:Rayner avait sans doute une dizaine d'années de plus que moi. Ce qui ne pose en soi aucun problème. J'entretiens des relations chaleureuses, sans bras cassés, avec quantité de personnes de cet âge. ~ Hugh Laurie, #NFDB
1068:Donc pas d erreur? Ce qu on faisait a se tirer dessus, comme ca, sans meme se voir, n etait pas defendu! Cela faisait partie des choses qu on peut faire sans meriter une bonne engueulade. ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
1069:El pelo crece donde tiene que crecer, de modo que lo mejor será que lo dejes en paz y no pienses más en tener el cuerpo liso como el de una niña pequeña y te des cuenta de que ese pelo es atractivo. ~ V C Andrews, #NFDB
1070:Nachdem wir uns mit jemandem „richtig Modernen“ unterhalten haben, sehen wir, daß die Menschheit den „Jahrhunderten des Glaubens entfloh, um in jenen der Leichtgläubigkeit steckenzubleiben. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila, #NFDB
1071:Plus je vais et moins le monde me satisfait. Chaque jour me montre davantage l'instabilité des caractères et le peu de confiance qu'on peut mettre dans les apparences de l'intelligence et du mérite. ~ Jane Austen, #NFDB
1072:The idea that 20% of the features will get you 80% of the value may well be correct, but it also means that on important tasks, you're giving the customers B-grade experieence where it matters most. ~ Des Traynor, #NFDB
1073:Tous les jours on couche avec des femmes qu'on n'aime pas, et l'on ne couche pas avec des femmes qu'on aime. Every day we sleep with women we do not love and don't sleep with the women we do love. ~ Denis Diderot, #NFDB
1074:Wahrscheinlich werde ich jede Nacht von dir träumen", sagte er. "Und wenn ich aufwache, weiß ich, dass der beste Teil des Tages schon vorbei ist."
"Das hast du irgendwo gelesen."
"Hab ich nicht. ~ Kai Meyer,#NFDB
1075:« Au contraire des autres, il voulait faire à travers elle l'expérience de la sincérité, découvrir dans l'abstinence le plaisir d'être fidèle, cultiver un amour sur le terrain miné des sens. » ~ Ahlam Mosteghanemi, #NFDB
1076:Comme c'est le caractère des grands esprits de faire entendre en peu de paroles beaucoup de choses, les petits esprits au contraire ont le don de beaucoup parler, et de ne rien dire. ~ Fran ois de La Rochefoucauld, #NFDB
1077:Est fou, bien sûr, qui se refuse aux délices du vin, quand on peut dresser haut celui que je tiens là, palper un sein, caresser des deux mains une prairie offerte ! L'or danse et l'on oublie ses maux ! ~ Euripides, #NFDB
1078:Je croyais que la vie me donnerait une chance, me réserverait quelques surprises. Tintin. Les surprises sont pour les riches. La vie des pauvres est prévisible, on peut la raconter à l'avance. ~ Fr d ric Beigbeder, #NFDB
1079:L’extase universelle des choses ne s’exprime par aucun bruit; les eaux elles-mêmes sont comme endormies. Bien différente des fêtes humaines, c’est ici une orgie silencieuse. ~ Charles Baudelaire,Le Fou et la Vénus, #NFDB
1080:On n'avait jamais vu à Marguerite d'autres fleurs que des camélias. Aussi chez madame Barjon, sa fleuriste, avait-on fini par la surnommer la Dame aux Camélias, et ce surnom lui était resté. ~ Alexandre Dumas fils, #NFDB
1081:Weit hinten, jenseits des Tashmore-Sees, schimmerten die Tannen graugrün in der Sonne. Dumme Bäume, hatte Großvater einmal gesagt, sie kennen nicht einmal den Unterschied zwischen Sommer und Winter. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
1082:Er wuenschte sich eine Falltuer herbei, durch die er nach unten stuerzen duerfte - fort von der unwirklichen Realitaet in ein schwarzes Loch des Vergessens. Doch so etwas geschah nur in Traeumen. ~ Sebastian Fitzek, #NFDB
1083:Et le Seigneur se pencha, il cueillit doucement la fleur embaumée, il détacha sans effort sa grappe chérie du cep amer de l'exil, la trouvant totalement dorée des feux de l'Amour divin. Quelles ~ Saint Therese of Lisieux, #NFDB
1084:Il y a des époques fatales où la prière, cet hymne naturel que Dieu a mis au fond du cœur de l’homme, devient suspecte aux yeux des hommes, car la prière est un acte d’espoir ou de reconnaissance. ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
1085:Il y a des théories sur le rangement des livres.
Notamment celle du bon voisinage.
Le livre que l'on cherche n'est pas forcément celui que l'on doit lire.
Il faut regarder celui d'à côté. ~ David Foenkinos,#NFDB
1086:J'ai vu avec étonnement la faiblesse de l'empire des Osmanlins. Ce corps malade ne se soutient pas par un régime doux et tempéré, mais par des remèdes violents, qui l'épuisent et le minent sans cesse. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
1087:Je n'ignorais pas que mourir à trent ans ou a soixante-dix ans importe peu puisque, naturellement, dans les deux cas, d'autres hommes et d'autres femmes vivront, et cela pendant des millards d'années ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
1088:La Nature est un temple où de vivants piliers
Laissent parfois sortir de confuses paroles ;
L'homme y passe à travers des forêts de symboles
Qui l'observent avec des regards familiers. ~ Charles Baudelaire,#NFDB
1089:Les hommes n'ont plus le temps de rien connaître. Ils achètent des choses toutes faites chez les marchands. Mais comme il n'existe point de marchands d'amis, les hommes n'ont plus d'amis. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
1090:Les levers de soleil sont un accompagnement des longs voyages en chemin de fer, comme les œufs durs, les journaux illustrés, les jeux de cartes, les rivières où des barques s’évertuent sans avancer. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
1091:Oh ! étrangeté des rêves éveillés où l'esprit s'envole dans un monde irréel et possible ! Rien n'y étonne ; rien n'y choque ; et la fantaisie débridée ne distingue plus le comique et le lúgubre. ~ Guy de Maupassant, #NFDB
1092:Quand on parle des vices d’un homme, si on vous dit : “Tout le monde le dit” ne le croyez pas ; si l’on parle de ses vertus en vous disant encore : “Tout le monde le dit”, croyez-le. ~ Fran ois Ren de Chateaubriand, #NFDB
1093:Quand vous regardez une beauté naturelle, celle-ci se penche également sur vous! Depuis le visualiseur et le vu se manifeste des miracles, deux miracles se regardent l'un l'autre en admiration! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
1094:Wenn der literarisch gebildete Deutsche sich in einem Satz stürzt, sieht man nichts mehr von ihm, bis er auf der anderen Seite des Atlantischen Ozeans mit dem Verb zwischen den Zähnen wieder auftaucht. ~ Mark Twain, #NFDB
1095:Das Wesentliche an der Existenz des Menschen ist ja, dass er sich über das Tierreich und seine instiktive Anpassung erhoben hat, dass er die Natur transzendiert hat, wenn er sie auch nie ganz verlässt. ~ Erich Fromm, #NFDB
1096:Il est des choses qui nous dépassent. Les contester ne nous mènerait nulle part. Les traquer nous perdrait à jamais. Il faut mettre une croix sur ce qui est fini si l'on veut se réinventer ailleurs. ~ Yasmina Khadra, #NFDB
1097:Le hasard pur n'engendre que le chaos. Le déterminisme pur ne crée rien de nouveau. C'est l'association de ces deux facteurs qui donne naissance à la richesse et à la variété des formes de la Nature. ~ Hubert Reeves, #NFDB
1098:Man mag noch so viel über die beliebte Dreiecksthematik des Theaters schimpfen; zwei Personen alleine auf der Bühne, was sollen sie tun, als sich totdiskutieren oder insgeheim nach dem Dritten sehnen. ~ G nter Grass, #NFDB
1099:Prolog Vor Der Feierlichen Aufführung Der Neunten
Symphonie Von Ludwig Van Beethoven Am 8.
November 1925 Zur Fünfzigjahrfeier Der Erhebung
Des Tausendjährigen Ortes Mödling Zur Stadt
~ Anton Wildgans,#NFDB
1100:Redoutez des liens formés par l' imprudence.
Le crime quelquefois suit de près l' innocence.
Le coeur peut se tromper ; l' amour et ses douceurs
pourront coûter, Palmire, et du sang et des pleurs ~ Voltaire,#NFDB
1101:un empire était à même d'accomplir tant de choses : imposer des lois identiques pour tous, mettre un terme aux injustices, à la torture et peut-être même à l'esclavage, installer des systèmes d'égouts… ~ Dave Duncan, #NFDB
1102:Dies ist eine Todesstätte," dachte er, "und nicht nur hier. Alle diese Räume. Jedes Stockwerk."
"Ja, Revolvermann, flüsterte die Stimme des Turms. Aber nur, weil dein Leben sie dazu gemacht hat. ~ Stephen King,#NFDB
1103:En réalité, puisque si peu de personnes font examiner leurs chromosomes, on pourrait défendre l'idée que dans la grande majorité des cas, les genTEs ont un sexe génétique qui reste encore à déterminer. ~ Julia Serano, #NFDB
1104:Il en voulait à Emma de cette victoire permanente. Il s'efforçait même à ne pas la chérir; puis, au craquement de ses bottines, il se sentait lâche, comme les ivrognes à la vue des liqueurs fortes. ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
1105:Il y a une chose que je ne comprends pas. Pourquoi à la rubrique de l'état civil, dans le journal, donne-t-on toujours l'âge des personnes décédées et jamais celui des nouveaux-né? C'est un non-sens. ~ Eug ne Ionesco, #NFDB
1106:La Nature est un temple où de vivants piliers
Laissent parfois sortir de confuses paroles;
L'homme y passe à travers des forêts de symboles
Qui l'observent avec des regards familiers. ~ Charles Baudelaire,#NFDB
1107:L'hérédité et le milieu sont des drôles de trucs. (...) Le milieu familial peut défaire beaucoup de ce qu'on essaie de faire à l'école. C'est pourquoi on (...) prend les gosses pratiquement au berceau. ~ Ray Bradbury, #NFDB
1108:Lorsque j’étais petit garçon, la lumière de l’arbre de Noël, la musique de la messe de minuit, la douceur des sourires faisaient ainsi tout le rayonnement du cadeau de Noël que je recevais. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
1109:My favorite part of our honeymoon was when Simon dipped me backwards in a passionate kiss on the Ponts des Arts bridge just before we hung a padlock with our initials to the rails, immortalizing our love. ~ B L Berry, #NFDB
1110:Tout ce que je sais, c'est qu'il n'existe pas de héros dans ce monde. Pas vraiment. Rien que des hommes et des femmes devenus vieux et fatigués qui n'ont plus la force de lutter pour ce qu'ils aiment. ~ Joseph Boyden, #NFDB
1111:Aus heutiger Sicht lag die 68er-Bewegung exakt in dem Trend, der zur Konsumgesellschaft führt. Ohne es zu ahnen, waren wir, die westdeutschen Früh-Hedonisten, die Labormäuse des totalen Konsumismus. ~ Peter Sloterdijk, #NFDB
1112:Ich weiß nicht, ob die verdummte Unterhaltung nach und nach dem kollektiven Intellekt unserer Nation geschadet hat oder ob die geistige Faulheit des Publikums zuerst da war und wir sie nur bedient haben. ~ Joey Goebel, #NFDB
1113:Nous effectuions comme des progrès de poésie rien qu'à l'admirer d'être tellement belle et tellement plus inconsciente que nous. Le rythme de sa vie jaillissait d'autres sources que les nôtres ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
1114:Sans doute, rien n’est plus naturel, aujourd’hui, que de voir des gens travailler du matin au soir et choisir ensuite de perdre aux cartes, au café, et en bavardages, le temps qui leur reste pour vivre. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
1115:Und was das Ende des Universums betrifft … lasst es kommen, wie es will, sage ich, in Eis, Feuer oder Nacht. Was hat das Universum jemals für mich getan, dass ich mich um sein Wohlergehen sorgen sollte? ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
1116:Chacun en leur temps, briques, couteaux, bouteilles et divers arguments rationnels avaient rebondi sur cette vaste surface en ne laissant que d'infimes empreintes entre des pores profonds et très espacés. ~ Hugh Laurie, #NFDB
1117:Comme cela arrive, d'ailleurs, à la plupart des gens en ce monde : ils recherchent la souffrance là où ils trouveraient les joies les plus grandes, parce qu'ils croient qu'ils ne méritent pas le bonheur. ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
1118:Gemeinsam aber ist allen Menschen, die des guten Willens sind, dieses: daß unsere Werke uns am Ende beschämen, daß wir immer wieder von vorn beginnen müssen, daß das Opfer immer neu gebracht werden muß. ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
1119:In der Nacht waren sie der Gegenstand seiner Träume, und während des Tages trieb ihn der Eifer, seinem Vorbild ähnlich zu werden, hinaus und stachelte ihn zu dem Vorsatz an, die gleichen Taten zu verrichten. ~ Plutarch, #NFDB
1120:Les mots sont comme des oignons, me dit-elle, plus tu ôtes de pleures, plus tu trouve de significations. Et quand tu commences a découvrir plusieurs sens, le vrai et le faux ne veulent plus rien dire. ~ Fatema Mernissi, #NFDB
1121:Reste donc la charité particulière; celle là ne saurait produire que des effets utiles. Sa faiblesse même garantit contre ses dangers; elle soulage beaucoup de misères et n'en fait point naître. ~ Alexis de Tocqueville, #NFDB
1122:Xander duckte sich instinktiv, als er das schneidende Geräusch hörte. Seine Augen folgten der Flugbahn des abgehackten Kopfes, der durch den Raum segelte.
"Kopf hoch", murmelte Xander. ~ Richie Tankersley Cusick,#NFDB
1123:Ce soir-là, . . . vous rentrez aux cafés éclatants,
Vous demandez des bocks ou de la limonade . . .
On n'est pas sérieux, quand on a dix-sept ans
Et qu'on a des tilleuls verts sur la promenade. ~ Arthur Rimbaud,#NFDB
1124:Ils sont morts ensemble. Cent mètres à faire. Se coucher. Faire tenir les enfants tranquilles. Les endormir peut-être avec des chansons.
Le train s'est arrêté dit-on.
Voilà, c'est ça l'histoire. ~ Marguerite Duras,#NFDB
1125:Je veux penser à toi, Arthur Schopenhauer, / Je t’aime et je vois dans le reflet des vitres, / Le monde est sans issue et je suis un vieux pitre, / Il fait froid. Il fait très froid. Adieu la Terre, ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
1126:L'ordre véritable c'est le temple. Mouvement du coeur de l'architecte qui noue comme une racine la diversité des matériaux et qui exige pour être un, durable et puissant, cette diversité même. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
1127:Rincewind spähte an dem Arm entlang und entdeckte an seinem Ende ein großes, zorniges Gesicht, das ihm mitteilte: Viel Bier sehnte sich nach einem Streit, und der Rest des Körpers teilte diesen Wunsch. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
1128:« Tous les hommes sont morts sauf ceux qui ont des connaissances, et tous ceux qui ont des connaissances sont endormis sauf ceux qui font le bien, et tous ceux qui font le bien se trompent sauf ceux qui sont sincères» ~, #NFDB
1129:Întotdeauna problemele tale par cele mai mari, pentru că-ți sunt cel mai aproape. Când începi să afli și calvarul prin care trec alții, parcă mai repede și mai des iese soarele și pe strada ta. ~ Ioana Chicet Macoveiciuc, #NFDB
1130:Mais je ne pouvais pas imaginer que parfois les soleils deviennent des gêneurs, et que leurs rayons qui éclairent le monde et le font resplendir, malgré eux, dévoilent aussi ce qu’on cherche à enfouir. ~ Philippe Claudel, #NFDB
1131:Nicht die Wahrheit, in deren Besitz irgend ein Mensch ist oder zu sein vermeinet, sondern die aufrichtige Mühe, die er angewandt hat, hinter die Wahrheit zu kommen, macht den Wert des Menschen. ~ Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, #NFDB
1132:Nous avons essayer de réparer pour le lecteur cette admirable église de Notre Dame de Paris. Nous avons indiqué sommairement la plupart des beautés qu'elle avait au XVe siècle et qui lui manque aujourd'hui. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
1133:Rhynia, haute de cinquante centimètres, doit son nom au lieu de sa découverte dans le
comté de Rhynie, en Écosse, où elle fut engloutie lors d’une éruption volcanique.
Il y a des Pompéi de fleurs. ~ Pascal Quignard,#NFDB
1134:Soyinka's Death at Dawn, Auden's Musée des Beaux Arts, Stevie Smith's Not Waving but Drowning and Wislawa Szymborska's Some People come to mind immediately. But there are plenty, plenty more that I enjoy. ~ Ama Ata Aidoo, #NFDB
1135:En politique, mon cher, vous le savez comme moi, il n'y a pas d'hommes, mais des idées ; pas de sentiments, mais des intérêts ; en politique, on ne tue pas un homme : on supprime un obstacle, voilà tout. ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
1136:L'ampleur de la débâcle oblige François Hollande à remanier La majorité se déchire sur la stratégie à adopter et la politique à mener. Aucune des solutions n'est réellement satisfaisante pour le chef de l'Etat ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1137:Nous sommes tous des fragments de nos souvenirs. Nous gardons en nous les angoisses et les espoirs des gens qui nous aiment. Tant que l’amour et les souvenirs subsistent, il n’y a pas de véritable perte. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
1138:Ainsi donc, il veut que, convertis au Seigneur, nous redevenions comme des enfants qui reconnaissent leur véritable père, régénérés qu'ils sont par l'eau du baptême, autre création dans la création. ~ Clement of Alexandria, #NFDB
1139:Arbre toujours au milieu
De tout ce qui l'entoure
Arbre qui savoure
La voute des cieux
(Tree always in the center
Of all that surrounds it
Tree feasting upon
Heaven's great dome) ~ Gaston Bachelard,#NFDB
1140:Au-dessus des mers de nuages, c’est très élégant, mais… au-dessous des mers de nuages c’est l’éternité.
Above the seas of clouds is very elegant, but… below the seas of clouds is eternity. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
1141:Je suis moins tenté de l'argent que des choses, parce qu'entre l'argent et la possession désirée il y a toujours un intermédiaire ; au lieu qu'entre la chose même et sa jouissance il n'y en a point. ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau, #NFDB
1142:Les mauvaises langues ont l'habitude de voir leurs cobayes tout en noir ou tout en blanc et de leur attribuer des défauts ou des mobiles que le style sténographique de la conversation peut aisément suggérer. ~ John le Carr, #NFDB
1143:L'homme a un penchant naturel à imaginer des théories correctes de toutes espèces... Si l'homme n'était pas doué d'un esprit adapté à ses besoins, il n'aurait jamais pu acquérir aucune connaissance ~ Charles Sanders Peirce, #NFDB
1144:Par l'imagination nous abandonnons le cours ordinaire des choses. Percevoir et imaginer sont aussi antithétiques que présence et absence. Imaginer c'est s'absenter, c'est s'élancer vers une vie nouvelle. ~ Gaston Bachelard, #NFDB
1145:When I was growing up I used to think that the best thing about coming from Des Moines was that it meant you didn't come from anywhere else in Iowa. By Iowa standards, Des Moines is a mecca of cosmopolitanism ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
1146:En me disant ces mots, j’ai compris soudain combien cela sonnait comme un danger, et que, être innocent au milieu des coupables, c’était en somme la même chose que d’être coupable au milieu des innocents. ~ Philippe Claudel, #NFDB
1147:I might go alone as far as the porch of Saint-André-des-Champs: never did I find there the girl whom I should inevitably have met, had I been with my grandfather, and so unable to engage her in conversation. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
1148:Je me dérobais de toute ma force à des situations qui me donnassent un intérêt contraire à l'intérêt d'un autre homme, et par conséquent un désir secret, quoique involontaire, du mal de cet homme-là. ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau, #NFDB
1149:Je n'ai jamais gratté la terre ni quêté des nids, je n'ai pas herborisé ni lancé des pierres aux oiseaux. Mais les livres ont été mes oiseaux et mes nids, mes bêtes domestiques, mon étable et ma campagne. ~ Jean Paul Sartre, #NFDB
1150:Les autres mettent des semaines et des mois pour arriver à aimer, et à aimer peu, et il leur faut des entretiens et des goûts communs et des cristallisations. Moi, ce fut le temps d’un battement de paupières. ~ Albert Cohen, #NFDB
1151:Le temps des maisons individuelles était venu. Chacun aurait son paradis. Le rêve pavillonnaire moucheta le territoire. Vu d’avion, on aurait dit que le sucrier renversé avait craché ses cubes sur la nappe. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
1152:Que le monde entier sache la vraie histoire des soucoupes volantes (ovnis) allemandes, américaines, canadiennes et extraterrestres. Vous pensiez connaître tout à propos des ovnis: ~ Jean Maximillien De La Croix de Lafayette, #NFDB
1153:The Embassy Suites in Des Moines was of the architectural style known as 20th Century Hotel Unremarkable, a large beige building apparently designed not to piss anybody off, except maybe the local aesthetes. ~ John Sandford, #NFDB
1154:Une uniformité qui imite les mouvements des horloges et non pas ceux des constellations, une variété qui exclut toute règle et par suite toute prévision, cela fait un temps inhabitable à l’homme, irrespirable. ~ Simone Weil, #NFDB
1155:Je souhaiterais bien avoir plus parfaite intelligence des choses, mais je ne la veux pas acheter si cher qu'elle coûte. Mon dessein et de passer doucement, et non laborieusement, ce qui me reste de vie. ~ Michel de Montaigne, #NFDB
1156:La solitude est dangereuse pour les intelligences qui travaillent. Il nous faut autour de nous, des hommes qui pensent et qui parlent. Quand nous sommes seuls longtemps, nous peuplons le vide de fantômes. ~ Guy de Maupassant, #NFDB
1157:La solitude est une drogue, un narcotique; elle se répand dans les veines, dans les nerfs et les muscles; elle s'arroge le droit de posséder votre corps et votre esprit. L'isolement et la solitude sont des murs. ~ R J Ellory, #NFDB
1158:Le bonheur est comme l'été : il n'irradie pas. Rien à attendre de son souvenir pour les jours où nous aurons froid. - Il y a des sensations qui écrivent en lettres ineffaçables. Le bonheur écrit blanc. ~ Henry de Montherlant, #NFDB
1159:Chaque fois que vous allez au zoo, vous prolongez la captivité des animaux là-bas! Si personne ne va dans les zoos, il n'y aura pas de zoos! Détruire le mal est très simple et il est à portée de tous(tes) ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
1160:Enfin, le soufisme n'était pas une maladie, ce qui m'a déjà rassuré un peu, c'était une façon de penser -même s'il y a des façons de penser qui sont aussi des maladies, disait souvent monsieur Ibrahim. ~ ric Emmanuel Schmitt, #NFDB
1161:parce que s’il est bien une chose que les riches partagent à leur corps défendant avec les pauvres, ce sont des intestins nauséabonds qui finissent toujours par se débarrasser quelque part de ce qui les empuantit. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1162:C’est ainsi que j’ai intégré l’industrieuse société des goujats, cette vaste caravane qui met ses pas dans ceux de l’armée et sans laquelle nulle campagne ne pourrait se faire. (nouvelle "Profanation") ~ Jean Philippe Jaworski, #NFDB
1163:Elle ne faisait que divaguer de bonheur et d'optimisme, comme tous les gens qui sont du bon côté de la vie, celui des privilèges, de la santé, de la sécurité et qui en ont encore pour longtemps à vivre ~ Louis Ferdinand C line, #NFDB
1164:La musique parfaite a une cause. Elle naît de l'équilibre. L'équilibre naît de la justesse, et la justesse du sens du monde. Aussi ne peut-on parler de musique qu'avec des gens qui ont compris le sens du monde. ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
1165:Les livres sont des barils de brut. En eux, dort la pensée. Elle est contenue entre les feuilles comme les hydrocarbures entre les strates. Pour se libérer, la force des mots attend le raffinage de la lecture. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
1166:Mais, en attendant, c'était déjà merveilleux de s'asseoir dans le coin d'une salle silencieuse, avec des volumes empilés en face de lui, les mains plongées dans les cheveux, l'âme immergée dans un monde nouveau ~ Edith Wharton, #NFDB
1167:Möcht' ich ein Komet seyn? Ich glaube. Denn sie haben die Schnelligkeit der Vögel; sie blühen an Feuer, und sind wie Kinder in Reinheit. Größeres zu wünschen, kann nicht des Menschen Natur sich vermessen. ~ Friedrich H lderlin, #NFDB
1168:Si les choses n'ont pas, pour vous et moi, tourné aussi mal qu'elles l'auraient pu, c'est en grande partie grâce à ces êtres qui ont vécu loyalement une existence discrète et reposent dans des tombes délaissées. ~ George Eliot, #NFDB
1169:Si on aime les gens seulement quand ils se comportent conformément à nos idéaux, ce n'est pas de l'amour...Chacun est responsable de sa propre appréciation. Vous n'êtes pas responsable des opinions d'autrui. ~ Laurent Gounelle, #NFDB
1170:Sur le chemin du fauteuil, et sans trop savoir pourquoi, Hector repensa à un dicton croate qui disait qu’on rencontrait souvent les femmes de sa vie devant des livres.
A priori, il y avait là un livre. ~ David Foenkinos,#NFDB
1171:Bien heureusement, pensait Elizabeth, personne ne devait s’en apercevoir. Car, à beaucoup de sensibilité Jane unissait une égalité d’humeur et une maîtrise d’elle-même qui la préservait des curiosités indiscrètes. ~ Jane Austen, #NFDB
1172:Dieu sait que nous avons besoin d’une meilleure équipe que celle de l’année dernière. Nous avons été littéralement écrasés par les Serpentard. Pendant des semaines, je n’ai plus osé regarder Severus Rogue en face… ~ J K Rowling, #NFDB
1173:Dire c’est inventer. Faux comme de juste. On n’invente rien, on croit inventer, s’échapper, on ne fait que balbutier sa leçon, des bribes d’un pensum appris et oublié, la vie sans larmes, telle qu’on la pleure. ~ Samuel Beckett, #NFDB
1174:[...] les 8 900 milliards de dollars que les gouvernements des États industriels ont versés en 2008-2009 à leurs banques respectives correspondent à soixante-quinze ans d'aide publique au développement... (p. 87) ~ Jean Ziegler, #NFDB
1175:Manchmal glaube ich, es ist der Sinn des Lebens, uns mit seinem letzendlichen Verlust zu versöhnen, indem es uns zermürbt, uns beweist, auch wenn das eine Weile dauern kann, dass das Leben gar nicht so toll ist. ~ Julian Barnes, #NFDB
1176:And, lying on my bed in some biscuit-colored hotel room in Nice, with a balcony facing the Promenade des Anglais, I watch the clouds reflected on sliding panes and marvel even how my sadness can make me happy . . . ~ Donna Tartt, #NFDB
1177:Ich lebe so glückliche Tage, wie sie Gott seinen Heiligen aufspart; und mit mir mag werden was will, so darf ich nicht sagen, daß ich die Freuden, die reinsten Freuden des Lebens nicht genossen habe. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, #NFDB
1178:Il n'avait pas un doute sur l'éventualité prochaine de cette conception, et tout ce qu'il jugeait lui être hostile, Sénécal s'acharnait dessus, avec des raisonnements de géomètre et une bonne foi d'inquisiteur ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
1179:La découverte des réactions atomiques en chaîne ne constitue pas pour l'humanité un danger plus grand que l'invention des allumettes. Mais nous devons tout entreprendre pour supprimer le mauvais usage du moyen. ~ Albert Einstein, #NFDB
1180:Mais tout restait dissous dans une délicatesse et une pâleur spectrales, exempt de toute ligne que l'œil aurait pu suivre avec certitude ; les contours des cimes se perdaient, s'embrumaient, s'en allaient en fumée. ~ Thomas Mann, #NFDB
1181:Parler des affaires du monde est une chose banale. Il faut travailler un peu, lire un peu, réfléchir - rien de très profond. L'idée que cela nécessite des qualifications spéciales n'est qu'une escroquerie de plus. ~ Noam Chomsky, #NFDB
1182:Wenn wir ein Lebewesen damit beauftragen wollten, sich in der Einsamkeit des Kosmos um Lebendiges zu kümmern, zu überwachen, was daraus wird und wohin es geht, sollte man für diese Aufgabe keine Menschen auswählen. ~ Bill Bryson, #NFDB
1183:C'est la vie qui peu à peu, cas par cas, nous permet de remarquer que ce qui est le plus important pour notre coeur, ou pour notre esprit, ne nous est pas appris par le raisonnement mais par des puissances autres. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
1184:Elle essaie de former des sons avec sa bouche. Mais ils éclatent comme des bulles, et ne reste qu'une impression blanche, un pli dans quelque chose qui se lisse dès qu'apparu, qui s'efface sitôt pensé. (p245) ~ Marie Darrieussecq, #NFDB
1185:Emporte dans ta mémoire, pour le reste de ton existence, les choses positives qui ont surgi au milieu des difficultés. Elles seront une preuve de tes capacités et te redonneront confiance devant tous les obstacles. ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
1186:En vérité, je vous dis qu'un riche entrera difficilement dans le royaume des cieux; et je vous le dis encore: Il est plus facile qu'un chameau entre par un trou d'aiguille, qu'un riche n'entre dans le royaume de Dieu. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1187:Il faut que quelque chose arrive, voilà l’explication de la plupart des engagements humains. Il faut que quelque chose arrive, même la servitude sans amour, même la guerre, ou la mort. Vivent donc les enterrements! ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
1188:Il le constata avec la compassion des fils que la vie a transformé peu à peu en pères de leur père, et pour la première fois il souffrit de ne pas avoir accompagné le sien dans la solitude de ses erreurs. ~ Gabriel Garc a M rquez, #NFDB
1189:La conscience, c'est le chaos des chimères, des convoitises et des tentations, la fournaise des rêves, l'antre des idées dont on a honte ; c'est le pandémonium des sophismes, c'est le champ de bataille des passions. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
1190:La plupart considèrent que l’une des raisons principales de cet égocentrisme vient de l’usage des réseaux sociaux comme Myspace, Facebook et Twitter650, qui sont en grande partie consacrés à la promotion de soi. ~ Matthieu Ricard, #NFDB
1191:La "raison d'Etat" (...) a toujours servi à masquer la tyrannie, l'exploitation et la détermination des dirigeants à prolonger et perpétuer leur domination" Emma Goldman, 1935, "le communisme n'existe pas en Russie ~ Emma Goldman, #NFDB
1192:On devrait toujours prendre des photos, même si on n’a pas d’appareil, au moins avec son esprit. Les souvenirs qu’on se fait soi-même, volontairement, sont toujours plus vifs que ceux qu’on enregistre par accident. ~ Isaac Marion, #NFDB
1193:On remarquera sans peine que ce nouveau livre a la même contexture que nos précédents ouvrages, c'est-à-dire qu'il se compose d'essais plus ou moins indépendants les uns des autres, et d'importance inégale [...] ~ Frithjof Schuon, #NFDB
1194:Sie hatte Sam Mumm immer als jemanden gekannt, der voller Kraft steckte, in dem das Feuer des gerechten Zorns brannte, der am liebsten die Götter verhaftet hätte, weil sie immer wieder ihre Inkompetenz bewiesen. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
1195:6.4311
Der Tod ist kein Ereignis des Lebens. Den Tod erlebt man nicht.
Wenn man unter Ewigkeit nicht unendliche Zeitdauer, sondern Unzeitlichkeit versteht, dann lebt der ewig, der in der Gegenwart lebt. ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein,#NFDB
1196:catalogue des livres que nous lûmes pour arriver à ce but remplirait un feuilleton tout entier, ce qui serait peut-être fort instructif, mais à coups sûr peu amusant pour nos lecteurs. Nous nous contenterons donc ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
1197:Celui qui est doué d’une véritable humilité n’est guère préoccupé par son image. Celui qui possède des qualités indiscutables et une confiance en soi justifiée aura peu de chances d’être touché par les critiques. ~ Matthieu Ricard, #NFDB
1198:Ici, je me cache quand je veux. Je puis me cacher des jours et des jours, sans qu’on sache si j’existe ou non, et, sans que je le sache bien moi-même. Je m’enferme là-haut. Je lis, je dors, je rêve. Je ne bouge plus. ~ Anne H bert, #NFDB
1199:Les grands, pour s'affermir achetant les suffrages,
Tiennent pompeusement leurs maîtres à leurs gages,
Qui, par des fers dorés se laissant enchaîner,
Reçoivent d'eux les lois qu'ils pensent leur donner. ~ Pierre Corneille,#NFDB
1200:Le style des Faux-Monnayeurs ne doit présenter aucun intérêt de surface, aucune saillie. Tout doit être dit de la manière la plus plate, celle qui fera dire à certains jongleurs : que trouvez-vous à admirer là-dedans ? ~ Andr Gide, #NFDB
1201:There are no tiny features when you’re doing things properly. This is why as a product manager you need a good understanding of what it takes to implement a feature before you nod your head and add it to the roadmap. ~ Des Traynor, #NFDB
1202:Au métro Sèvres-Babylone, j'ai vu un graffiti étrange: "Dieu a voulu des inégalités, pas des injustices", disait l'inscription. Je me suis demandé qui était cette personne si bien informée des desseins de Dieu. ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
1203:Certes, la solitude est dangereuse pour les intelligences qui travaillent. Il nous faut autour de nous, des hommes qui pensent et qui parlent. Quand nous somme seuls longtemps, nous peuplons le vide de fantômes. ~ Guy de Maupassant, #NFDB
1204:C’est un peu comme les êtres au fond, ceux justement que l’on croise durant des années, mais qu’on ne connaît jamais, et qui se révèlent un jour, sous nos yeux, comme jamais on ne les aurait crus capables d’être. ~ Philippe Claudel, #NFDB
1205:Dans la forêt de mélèzes glissent des ombres. Les chevaux évitent savamment les troncs, les sabots crèvent la neige avec un bruit de poing dans l'oreiller de plume et des panaches de vapeur enfument les chanfreins. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
1206:Der mystische Ausdruck ist ein Gedankenreiz mehr. Alle Wahrheit ist uralt. Der Reiz der Neuheit liegt nur in den Variationen des Ausdrucks. Je kontrastierender die Erscheinung, desto größer die Freude Des Wiedererkennens. ~ Novalis, #NFDB
1207:Elle lui expliqua que les adultes avaient peur de toutes sortes de choses, peur de vieillir, peur de mourir, peur de ce qu'ils n'ont pas vécu, peur de la maladie, parfois même du regard des enfants, peur qu'on les juge. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
1208:Il était seul, et quand la solitude nous préoccupe, on devient capable de faire n'importe quelle bassesse pour s'assurer une compagnie, une oreille et des yeux attentifs. Je parle d'eux, les autres, pas de moi. ~ Juan Carlos Onetti, #NFDB
1209:Je rêve parfois de ce que diront de nous les historiens futurs. Une phrase leur suffira pour l'homme moderne : il forniquait et lisait des journaux. Après cette forte définition, le sujet sera, si j'ose dire, épuisé. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
1210:L’antisémitisme est un délire très spécial dont l’une des particularités a toujours été, à chacune des étapes de son histoire, de choisir les justes mots qui donneront à sa déraison les apparences de la raison. ~ Bernard Henri L vy, #NFDB
1211:Ce que je reproche aux journaux, c’est de nous faire faire attention tous les jours à des choses insignifiantes tandis que nous lisons trois ou quatre fois dans notre vie les livres où il y a des choses essentielles. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
1212:Comment on va faire maintenant qu'il fait tout le temps nuit sur toi? Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire la vie sans toi? Qu'est-ce qui se passe pour toi là? Dur Rien? Du vide? De la nuit, des choses de ciel, du réconfort? ~ Mathias Malzieu, #NFDB
1213:Il raconte aussi qu’un collègue physicien, pour la 100e conférence Rutgers, a proposé de baptiser une nouvelle unité du nom de « Joel », comme il y a des ampères ou des volts. Ce serait l’unité de travail d’un chercheur. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1214:Jeder Mensch trägt die Fähigkeit des Tötens in sich. Jeder hat einen Punkt, an dem er zerbricht. Zum Glück gibt es nur wenige, die die Skrupellosigkeit besitzen, diesen psychischen Nullpunkt bei anderen zu finden. ~ Sebastian Fitzek, #NFDB
1215:J'étais trop occupé ces temps-ci à rester un enfant. Les copains m'inquiètent. S'éloignent de moi chaque jour un peu plus. Se chamaillent pour des histoires d'adultes, s'inventent des ennemis et des raisons de se battre. ~ Ga l Faye, #NFDB
1216:Le bonheur est comme ces palais des îles enchantées dont les dragons gardent les portes. Il faut combattre pour le conquérir, et moi, en vérité, je ne sais en quoi j'ai mérité le bonheur d'être le mari de Mercédès. ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
1217:les salles de réception de la Sorbonne n'étaient de mon temps jamais utilisées pour des raouts universitaires, mais assez souvent louées, à un tarif indécent, pour des défilés de mode et autres événements people ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
1218:Nous ne nous présentons pas au monde en doctrinaires avec un nouveau principe en lui disant: voici la vérité, c'est ici qu'il faut tomber à genoux. Des principes du monde nous tirons pour le monde des principes nouveaux. ~ Karl Marx, #NFDB
1219:Secret Service agents detained an Iowa man with a gun who happened to be walking in a Des Moines park where President Bush was jogging. Were they out of their minds? White guys with guns put Bush in the White House. ~ Argus Hamilton, #NFDB
1220:Simplement parce les grandes oeuvres d'art, celles qui envahissent toute la vie, doivent résulter de la coopération harmonieuse entre voisins. Or, un homme riche n'a pas de voisins, mais des rivaux et des parasites. ~ William Morris, #NFDB
1221:Tandis que je rêve, les souvenirs de mon enfance et de ma jeunesse me reviennent un à un, doux, calmes, riants, comme des îles de fleurs sur ce gouffre de pensées noires et confuses qui tourbillonnent dans mon cerveau. ~ Victor Hugo, #NFDB
1222:2 prisonniers, dans des cachots voisins, qui communiquent par des coups frappés contre le mur. Le mur est ce qui les sépare, mais aussi ce qui leur permet de communiquer. Ainsi nous et Dieu. Toute séparation est un lien ~ Simone Weil, #NFDB
1223:Chaque matin, je me dégage des bras enchanteurs de Morphée, pétrifiée à l'idée de ces heures interminables qui s'égrèneront lentement jusqu'à ce que je puisse me replonger dans l'oubli bienfaisant d'un nouveau sommeil. ~ Lolita Pille, #NFDB
1224:E un fenomen foarte des întâlnit. Dacă văd vreodată pe cineva care pare să aibă o părere foarte bună despre sine și se laudă fără încetare, știu de fiecare dată că undeva există un tainic sentiment de inferioritate. ~ Agatha Christie, #NFDB
1225:Les Arabes ne triomphent pas en Asie Mineure, au VIIe siècle, parce que leurs chameaux ne peuvent résister aux froids vifs des plateaux de l'actuelle Anatolie. Le Sahara, lui, est le prolongement du désert d'Arabie. ~ Fernand Braudel, #NFDB
1226:Les cas extrêmes nous attachaient, au même titre que les névroses et les psychoses : on y retrouvait exagérées, épurées, dotées d'un saisissant relief les attitudes et les passions des gens qu'on appelle normaux. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
1227:Mais, supposé, comme il est vrai, que les exercices de la piété souffrent des intervelles et que les hommes aient besoin de divertissement, je soutiens qu'on ne leur en peut trouver un qui soit plus innocent que la comédie. ~ Moli re, #NFDB
1228:prends femme, Younes. seul l'amour est capable de nous venger des coups bas de la vie. et souvient toi, si une femme t'aimait aucune étoile ne se mettrait hors de ta porté, aucune divinité ne t'arrivera à la cheville ~ Yasmina Khadra, #NFDB
1229:Quand les animaux se comportent comme des humains ou quand les humains se comportent comme des animaux, ne soyez pas surpris, car dans chaque animal, il y a un humain et dans chaque être humain, il y a un animal! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
1230:A chaque saison, à chaque anniversaire, à chaque événement de sa vie, correspond un amant au visage flou. dans son amnésie flotte la rassurante sensation d'avoir existé mille fois à travers le désir des autres. (p.127) ~ Le la Slimani, #NFDB
1231:His eyes were the color of hot fudge, and his thick hair cascaded down his slender back in clean, wavy clumps. He looked like a sensitive prince in search of Sleeping Beauty, and unfortunately for him, he found me. ~ Pamela Des Barres, #NFDB
1232:Mais l'amour ne devient vraiment réel qu'à partir du moment où il cesse de planer, douloureux et sombre, à l'état embryonnaire, au plus profond des entrailles, où il ose se nommer, s'avouer par le souffle et les lèvres. ~ Stefan Zweig, #NFDB
1233:You think, as you walk away from Le Cirque des Rêves and into the creeping dawn, that you felt more awake within the confines of the circus.
You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream. ~ Erin Morgenstern,#NFDB
1234:— Bon, alors quel genre de chose t'apaise ?
[…]
— Tuer des démons. Une belle tuerie bien propre, ça me relaxe toujours. Quand ça tourne à la boucherie c'est plus embêtant, parce qu'il faut nettoyer après… — Jace ~ Cassandra Clare,#NFDB
1235:Comment avais-je pu imaginer lui plaire, ne serait-ce que le temps des vacances, moi la petite ronde à lunettes, certes appliquée mais pas intelligente, moi qui prétendais être cultivée et informée mais ne l'étais pas? ~ Elena Ferrante, #NFDB
1236:Denn wir suchten ja das menschliche Gute und die menschliche Glückseligkeit. Als menschliche Tugend bezeichnen wir nun nicht die des Körpers, sondern die der Seele. Und die Glückseligkeit nennen wir die Tätigkeit der Seele. ~ Aristotle, #NFDB
1237:Et voilà, mon passé n’est plus qu’un trou énorme. Mon présent: cette bonne au corsage noir qui rêve près du comptoir, ce petit bonhomme. Tout ce que je sais de ma vie, il me semble que je l’ai appris dans des livres. ~ Jean Paul Sartre, #NFDB
1238:J’avais connu la joie "longue focale" de la projection. La grande aventure d’une certaine normalité. L’ordre des choses. Les plans de chimie amusante, celle qui changeait les rêves d’enfant en rêves d’avoir des enfant ~ Mathias Malzieu, #NFDB
1239:Selon le rapport des Nations unies sur le Développement humain (2007-2008), le risque de cancer colorectal diminue d’environ 30 % chaque fois que l’on réduit de 100 grammes la consommation quotidienne de viande rouge. ~ Matthieu Ricard, #NFDB
1240:Une grande bouteille sur l’étiquette s’avère une eau boueuse, bourbeuse, vaseuse. Ce qui fut n’a pas été longtemps ; le souvenir n’a pas pu durer. Présent mort d’un passé disparu. Il en est des vins comme de certains êtres. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1241:Es war, wie Alina mir einmal erklärt hatte: Es sind nicht die Augen, mit denen wir die Welt erkennen. Es sind unsere Gefühle, die uns sehen lassen. Und meine Gefühle spürten in diesem Moment die Anwesenheit des Todes. ~ Sebastian Fitzek, #NFDB
1242:In a library in Missouri that was covered with vines
Lived thousands of books in a hundred straight lines
A boy came in at half past nine
Every Saturday, rain or shine
His book selections were clan-des-tine. ~ Rebecca Makkai,#NFDB
1243:Je ressemble à un personnage de Bretécher: une fille assise sur un banc avec une pancarte autour
du cou : "je veux de l'amour" et des larmes qui jaillissent comme deux fontaines de chaque côté des
yeux. Je m'y vois. ~ Anna Gavalda,#NFDB
1244:Le peuple anglais pense être libre, il se trompe fort, il ne l’est que durant l’élection des membres du Parlement ; sitôt qu’ils sont élus, il est esclave, il n’est rien. (Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Du Contrat Social). ~ David Van Reybrouck, #NFDB
1245:Loin de chez eux, ils s'autorisaient à vivre d'autres facettes de leur personnalité, en jachère, s'affranchissaient des attentes de leurs proches qui les bornaient, du personnage prévisible qu'ils jouaient en société. ~ Alexandre Jardin, #NFDB
1246:Noël est un mensonge qui réunit les familles autour d'un arbre mort recouvert de lumières, un mensonge tissé de conversations insipides, enfoui sous des kilos de crème au beurre, un mensonge auquel personne ne croit. ~ Delphine de Vigan, #NFDB
1247:Non, il n'avait jamais pensé qu'il pût être un monstre et ne se croyait pas différent des autres hommes qui, selon lui, étaient tous des fous dès qu'ils se trouvaient seuls avec eux-mêmes et hors du contrôle d'autrui. ~ Fran ois Mauriac, #NFDB
1248:prends femme, Younes. seul l'amour est capable de nous venger des coups bas de la vie. et souvient toi, si une femme t'aimait aucune étoile ne se mettrait hors de ta portée, aucune divinité ne t'arriverait à la cheville ~ Yasmina Khadra, #NFDB
1249:Albert Camus, dont la citation « Mal nommer les choses, c'est ajouter au malheur du monde » figure en tête du site de la Commission spécialisée de terminologie et de néologie de l'informatique et des composants électroniques. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1250:Am einen Tag feiern sie den Sturz des grausamen Tyrannen, und am nächsten sitzen sie herum und beklagen sich darüber, daß seit dem Sturz des Tyrannen niemand mehr den Müll fortbringt. Der Grund: Die Bösen können planen. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
1251:Erwartungen verändern die Biochemie des Gehirns und damit des ganzen Körpers. Darum kommen Alzheimer-Patienten nicht in den Genuss des Placeboeffekts, da die Hirnregion, wo sich Erwartungen bilden, nicht mehr funktioniert. ~ Rolf Dobelli, #NFDB
1252:Pour un pauvre être écrasé par les différents despotismes qui, peu ou prou, pèsent sur toutes les jeunesses, le premier usage du libre arbitre, exercé même sur des riens, apportait à Tâme je ne sais quel épanouissement. ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
1253:Elles [Rosa Luxembourg, Marie Curie] démontrent avec éclat que ce n'est pas l'infériorité des femmes qui a déterminé leur insignifiance historique: c'est leur insignifiance historique qui les a vouées à l'infériorité. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
1254:I don't want a politician who's thinking about fashion for even one millisecond. It's the same as medical professionals. The idea of a person in a Comme des Garcons humpback dress giving me a colonoscopy is just not groovy. ~ Simon Doonan, #NFDB
1255:Il est des petites choses que l'on laisse derrière soi, des moments de vie ancrés dans la poussière du temps. On peut tenter de les ignorer, mais ces petits riens mis bout à bout forment une chaîne qui vous raccroche au passé. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
1256:N’oubliez jamais qu’il suffira d’une crise politique, économique ou religieuse pour que les droits des femmes soient remis en question. Ces droits ne sont jamais acquis. Vous devrez rester vigilantes votre vie durant. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
1257:Ein merkwürdiger Ausdruck des Unbehagens huschte über das Gesicht des Schriftstellers. Es war der Ausdruck eines Mannes, der sich in einer Löwengrube befindet, wo schon Dutzende besserer Leute in Stücke gerissen worden sind. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
1258:La nuit était si sombre que l'eau des rivières se cognait aux pierres des montagnes et, au-delà des montagnes, Dieu, qui est parfois come un dentiste fou, avec la main du vent, arrachait les arbres avec leur racines. ~ Miguel ngel Asturias, #NFDB
1259:Le bonheur expliquait-elle c'est se sentir bien , léger, créatif, satisfait, aimé, amoureux, et libre. une personne malheureuse a l'impression que des barrières font obstacle à ses aspirations et à ses talents intérieurs. ~ Fatema Mernissi, #NFDB
1260:Les mots n’ont pas toujours besoin d’une destination. On les laisse s’arrêter aux frontières des sensations. Errant sans tête dans l’espace du trouble. Et c’est bien là le privilège des artistes : vivre dans la confusion. ~ David Foenkinos, #NFDB
1261:Ma fille, malheureusement, ou heureusement, tout le monde ne peut pas accéder au bonheur, que ce soit dans la vie ou dans une histoire. Le bonheur des uns engendre du malheur chez les autres. C'est triste, mais c'est ainsi... ~ Atiq Rahimi, #NFDB
1262:officiers – le MFS constitue la branche chrétienne des forces armées du " canton " de la Djézireh (nord-est de la Syrie), dont l'autonomie a été proclamée en 2013 malgré la présence, encore très visible par endroits, du régime ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1263:Des and I are quiet as we leave the servants’ quarters. Next to me, the Bargainer looks grim. Bloodsucking children, phantom visitors, and a man who goes by the name of the Thief of Souls. It’s enough to give me nightmares. ~ Laura Thalassa, #NFDB
1264:Il faut se moquer, en tout cas se méfier des bâtisseurs d'avenir. Surtout quand pour bâtir l'avenir des hommes à naître, ils ont besoin de faire mourir les hommes vivants. L'homme n'est la matière première que de sa propre vie. ~ Jean Giono, #NFDB
1265:Ne vous y trompez pas: ni fornicateurs, ni idolâtres, ni adultères, ni efféminés, ni ceux qui abusent d'eux-mêmes avec des hommes, ni voleurs, ni avares, ni ivrognes, ni outrageux, ni ravisseurs, n'hériteront du royaume de Dieu. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1266:s'il est des douleurs qui ne se trahissent jamais et qui enveloppent l'âme comme un linceul, il est aussi des joies qui restent ensevelies dans le coeur de l'homme parce qu'une voix de la terre ne saurait les dire. D'ailleurs, ~ George Sand, #NFDB
1267:solidarité auprès de ses adhérents avec l'aide de la Confédération paysanne. Nombreux à répondre, certains ont dû revoir leur générosité à la baisse, finalement, ayant eux-mêmes subi des pertes cet hiver. Le geste est symbolique ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1268:Son mari ne ressemblait pas du tout à un membre des services secrets tel que je me l'imaginais (qu'est-ce que j'imaginais, d'ailleurs ? probablement une espèce de Corse, mélange de truand et de commercial en apéritifs). ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
1269:Tout le monde se fout d'un vieux ou d'une vielle qui meut. A tout prendre, pour être pleuré, mieux vaut crever jeune, en pleine gloire. Même si vous êtes le pire des salauds, pour être regretté, mieux vaut y passer le premier ~ Michel Bussi, #NFDB
1270:I’ll be the judge of what I want. And it’s not normal. Plus, I’ve got news, Des. Nobody on this earth is really normal. Everyone is faking it to some degree. Especially around here. Lot of freak flags flying on the inside.” They ~ A G Riddle, #NFDB
1271:Il y a trois causes qui font que l'orateur persuade son auditoire, parce qu'il y a trois causes qui déterminent notre acquiescement, en dehors des démonstrations. Ces trois causes sont : la raison, la probité et la bienveillance. ~ Aristotle, #NFDB
1272:L’anima apparaît comme l’ange des limites qui protège la conscience des égarements vers l’angélisme de l’objectivité, vers l’aliénation déshumanisante. L’ange est, en quelque sorte, transcendantal... ~ Gilbert Durand,L’imagination symbolique, #NFDB
1273:Mais qu'était-ce que l'humanisme ? C'était l'amour des hommes, ce n'était pas autre chose, et par là même l'humanisme était aussi une politique, une attitude de révolte contre tout ce qui souille et déshonore l'idée de l'homme. ~ Thomas Mann, #NFDB
1274:Après tout, on vit à l'époque des Kleenex. On fait avec les gens comme avec les mouchoirs, on froisse après usage, on jette, on en prend un autre, on se mouche, on froisse, on jette. Tout le monde se sert des basques du voisin. ~ Ray Bradbury, #NFDB
1275:A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world."
[Speech upon being awarded the Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels (Peace Prize of the German Book Trade), Frankfurt Book Fair, October 12, 2003] ~ Susan Sontag,#NFDB
1276:C'est donc cela, la vie d'adulte ; construire des châteaux de sable puis sauter dessus à pieds joints, et recommencer l'action, encore et encore, alors qu'on sait bien que les océans les auraient effacées de toute façon ? ~ Fr d ric Beigbeder, #NFDB
1277:Il y a les sachants et les savants: c'est la mémoire qui fait les uns, c'est la philosophie qui fait les autres. La philosophie ne s'apprend pas; la philosophie est la réunion des sciences acquises au génie qui les applique. ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
1278:Je n'ai jamais imaginé qu'on put être à ce point hanté par une voix, par un cou, par des épaules, par des mains. Ce que je veux dire, c'est qu'elle avait des yeux où il faisait si bon vivre que je n'ai jamais su où aller depuis. ~ Romain Gary, #NFDB
1279:..La solitude est dangereuse pour les intelligences qui travaillent, Il nous faut autour de nous, des hommes qui pensent et qui parlent.Quand nous sommes seuls longtemps,nous peuplons le vide de fantomes.."
Le Horla ~ Guy de Maupassant,#NFDB
1280:Les mots les plus importants, remarqua un jour Borges, n'ont qu'une syllabe : ciel, mer, lune, terre, arbre, coeur, sexe, faim, eau. Méfiez-vous des mots trop long qui ne servent qu'à cacher souvent l'inutilité d'un produit. ~ Dany Laferri re, #NFDB
1281:Dans ses études, l´homme a pris la fâcheuse habitude de tout morceler, de se spécialiser, pour employer le terme consacré. Seule une vue globale et synthétique des phénomènes peut donner les clés de la véritable compréhension. ~ Daniel Meurois, #NFDB
1282:Der Kern des Problems bestand darin, dass »man(n)« mit einer fremden Spezies konkurrieren musste. Man(n) konnte von Natur aus nicht größer, schneller, behaarter, muskulöser sein als ein Pferd. Jede Form von Wettkampf war chancenlos. ~ Juli Zeh, #NFDB
1283:Don't worry, darling. These things happen. Des will understand. Did you at least remember to stroke his eagle? "What?" I gasped. His eagle. You know how much men like to talk about themselves. "Ego", Fontaine said, interpreting. ~ Tracy Brogan, #NFDB
1284:It feels like I’ve just conceded a little bit of my soul. But Des has been collecting pieces of my soul since the night I took my father’s life. As far as I’m concerned, he can have it; I know he’ll take good care of it. Des’s ~ Laura Thalassa, #NFDB
1285:Les bolcheviques ont placé le Congrès des soviets devant le fait accompli de la prise du pouvoir par eux-mêmes, non par les soviets. [...] Il s’agit d’une république oligarchique, la république de quelques commissaires du peuple. ~ Maxim Gorky, #NFDB
1286:Les questions auxquelles elles apportent des réponses ont disparu du champ de nos préoccupations ordinaires de sorte qu’elles n’ont pratiquement plus droit de cité, en tout cas plus sous leur forme originelle, dans l’espace public. ~ Luc Ferry, #NFDB
1287:No estoy segura de que te des cuenta cuán ridículo suenas. Pero por fortuna para ti, Annabelle Miller está aquí y en el caso, y no va a dejar que pases ni un minuto más sin conocer la perfección que es el éxtasis de chocolate. ~ Gena Showalter, #NFDB
1288:Offenbar hielt er den Tod für eine ärgerliche Sandbank im ewigen Strom des Lebens: Der Umstand, daß Menschen starben, stellte für den Hohenpriester nur eine Unannehmlichkeit dar, eine Unterbrechung in der allgemeinen Routine. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
1289:Dans l’ombre, on devinait des fantômes horribles : le cul souillé d’une morte ; le rictus d’un vieux abandonné les pieds dans l’âtre ; le mutisme compissé d’un bambin dans un recoin. (nouvelle "L'elfe et les égorgeurs") ~ Jean Philippe Jaworski, #NFDB
1290:Et voilà que , comme dans l' Ancien Testament , le pauvre possède un seul agneau qui fait son bonheur , et le riche qui a des troupeaux envie la brebis du pauvre et la lui dérobe ! ... sans le prévenir , sans la lui demander . ~ Honor de Balzac, #NFDB
1291:Je veux visiter
une femme étrangère.
Je veux deviner des énigmes
dans l'homme.
Je délie les courroies de mes bottes,
je cherche dans l'homme et
je cherche dans la femme,
je fais disparaître les rides des femmes. ~ Anonymous,#NFDB
1292:L'amitié a des grandeurs inconnues de l'amour. Elle se fortifie dans les difficultés, alors que les contraintes massacrent l'amour. Elle résiste au temps qui laisse et désunit les couples. Elle a des élévations inconnues de l'amour. ~ Mariama B, #NFDB
1293:La raison découle du mélange de la pensée rationnelle et des sentiments. Si les deux fonctions se dissocient, la pensée se détériore en activité intellectuelle schizoïde et les sentiments en passions névrotiques autodestructrices. ~ Erich Fromm, #NFDB
1294:Man begegnet den Leuten, und sie sind anständig. Sie verfügen über ein einigermaßen funktionierendes Gehirn. Und dann kommen solche Leute in größerer Zahl zusammen, und plötzlich hört man die Stimme des Volkes. Und sie knurrt. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
1295:Sachez, sachez vous tous, Investigateurs de cet Art, que l’Esprit est tout, et que si dans cet Esprit, il n’est enfermé un autre Esprit semblable, tout ne profite de rien. ~ La Tourbe des PhilosophesBibliothèque des Philosophes Chimiques (1741), #NFDB
1296:Die Toten hinterlassen ihre Schatten, einen Nachhall des Raumes, den sie einst bewohnten. Sie suchen uns heim, werden nie schwächer oder älter als wir. Wir betrauern nicht nur den Verlust ihrer Zukunft, sondern auch den der unseren. ~ Kate Mosse, #NFDB
1297:Je sentis frissonner sur mes lèvres muettes la douceur et l'effroi de ton premier baiser. Sous tes pas, j'entendis les lyres se briser, en criant vers le ciel l'ennui fier des poètes, parmi des flots de sons languissamment décrus. ~ Ren e Vivien, #NFDB
1298:Ne pourrait−on pas dire que toutes les religions du monde ne sont que des sectes de la religion naturelle, et que les juifs, les chrétiens, les musulmans, les païens même ne sont que des naturalistes hérétiques et schismatiques ? ~ Denis Diderot, #NFDB
1299:Nous ne serons heureux, se dit-elle alors, que lorsque nous n'aurons plus besoin les uns des autres. Quand nous pourrons vivre une vie à nous, une vie qui nous appartienne, qui ne regarde pas les autres. Quand nous serons libres. ~ Le la Slimani, #NFDB
1300:Quand tu regarderas le ciel, la nuit, puisque j’habiterai dans l’une d’elles, puisque je rirai dans l’une d’elles, alors ce sera pour toi comme si riaient toutes les étoiles. Tu auras, toi, des étoiles qui savent rire. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
1301:Verhalen horen zich in het verleden af te spelen, en hoe verder het verleden, zou men kunnen zeggen, des te beter voor ze, in hun hoedanigheid van verhalen, én voor de verteller, wiens gemurmel de onvoltooid verleden tijd bezweert. ~ Thomas Mann, #NFDB
1302:Cependant c'est là le premier mensonge, la première trahison de la femme: c'est celle de la vie même qui, fût-elle revêtue des formes les plus attrayantes, est toujours habitée par les ferments de la vieillesse et de la mort. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
1303:C’est en regardant les objets du quotidien, tel un couteau à beurre, que l’on se rend compte que quelqu’un est parti et qu’il ne reviendra plus ; un stupide couteau à beurre qui taille à jamais des tranches de solitude dans votre vie. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
1304:Combien de fois avons-nous entendu dire que cinq millions d'enfants se couchent tous les soirs en ayant faim ? Sans doute moins souvent que toutes les fois où nous avons lu ou vu des articles où l'on faisait l'éloge de la richesse. ~ Jim Harrison, #NFDB
1305:Der Autor muß eine Fülle von Varitionen über das ausgewählte Thema bieten, die Entscheidungsmöglichkeiten des Lesers vervielfachen und den Stil mit dem Stil selbst hintergehen, indem er das Genre und die Distanz ständig wechselt. ~ Carlos Fuentes, #NFDB
1306:Der „Rationalismus“ des 18. Jahrhunderts bekämpfte die „Vorurteile“ mit dem guten Gewissen des unbemerkten Vorurteils.
Seitdem steht „irrational“ nicht der Vernunft, sondern revolutionären Vorurteilen feindlich entgegen. ~ Nicol s G mez D vila,#NFDB
1307:I Peter 1:25 But the word of the Lord abideth for ever. And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you. I Petrus 1:25 aber des HERRN Wort bleibt in Ewigkeit." Das ist aber das Wort, welches unter euch verkündigt ist. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1308:Mais j'avais brusquement un certain scrupule à lui mentir. Tant de mensonges, déjà, pour me débarrasser des gens, tant d'immeubles à double issue pour les abandonner sur un trottoir, tant de rendez-vous auxquels je n'allais pas… ~ Patrick Modiano, #NFDB
1309:Vom Gerede des Volks, Amaranta Buendía empfange Briefe für die Toten, angelockt, kam Pater Antionio Isabel gegen fünf Uhr mit der letzten Wegzehrung, musste aber fünfzehn Minuten warten, bis die Sterbende aus dem Bad kam. ~ Gabriel Garc a M rquez, #NFDB
1310:Il savait qu'un être intelligent pouvait être neutralisé par la stupidité de ses supérieurs, et des semaines d'un travail patient, acharné - vingt-quatre heures sur vingt-quatre - annihilées par ce genre de personnages. (chapitre 6) ~ John le Carr, #NFDB
1311:Nachdenkliche Stille folgte, als die versammelten Brüder eine mentale Teilung des Universums vornahmen, um die Würdigen von den Unwürdigen zu trennen. Es fiel ihnen nicht weiter schwer, sich für die richtige Seite zu entscheiden. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
1312:Homme, ne te dresse pas au-dessus des animaux; ils sont sans péché, tandis qu’avec ta grandeur tu souilles la terre par ton apparition, laissant après toi une trace de pourriture, c’est le sort de presque chacun de nous, hélas! ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky, #NFDB
1313:Il s'agit, après avoir toujours plié, tout subi, tout encaissé en silence, d'oser enfin se redresser. Se tenir debout. Prendre la parole à son tour. Se tenir des hommes pendant quelques jours... Cette grève en elle-même est joie pure. ~ Simone Weil, #NFDB
1314:Je sais que ce ne sont pas les vêtements qui font les femmes plus ou moins belles ni les soins de beauté, ni les prix des onguents, ni la rareté, le prix des atours. Je sais que le problème est ailleurs. Je ne sais pas où il est. ~ Marguerite Duras, #NFDB
1315:Marianne se tut brusquement, songeant que l'amour conjugal pouvait croître non seulement sans l'aide des époux, mais malgré eux, malgré les querelles, les déceptions et les trahisons, croître par sa propre vertu, comme un enfant. ~ Ir ne N mirovsky, #NFDB
1316:On peut donner bien des choses à ceux que l'on aime. Des paroles, un repos, du plaisir. Tu m'as donné le plus précieux de tout : le manque. Il m'était impossible de me passer de toi, même quand je te voyais, tu me manquais encore. ~ Christian Bobin, #NFDB
1317:ceux qui apprennent sur la vie d’un autre quelque détail exact en tirent aussitôt des conséquences qui ne le sont pas et voient dans le fait nouvellement découvert l’explication de choses qui précisément n’ont aucun rapport avec lui. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
1318:Je m'abstrais, une nouvelle fois, de la discussion, reconnaissante a mon oncle d'être bavard et a ma tante d'avoir pris mon parti. C'est l'un des avantages d'être timide, personne ne vous embête quand vous vous repliez sur vous-même. ~ Lauren Oliver, #NFDB
1319:Je traverse des chaos de banquise. La neige a déposé une crème blanche au-dessus des tranches bleues. Je marche dans le gâteau d'un dieu boréal. Parfois le soleil illumine la pointe des glaçons: des étoiles s'allument en plein jour. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
1320:Right next to Thrifty’s was an all-girls Catholic school, so we shimmied over the fence to break the liquor law with the Lord. I kept saying I didn’t feel anything, but I could hardly get the words out, I was cracking up so hard. ~ Pamela Des Barres, #NFDB
1321:Was war eigentlich Besonderes mit dem nächtlichen Himmel? Dass, wie von einer sonst verschlossenen Truhe, der blaue Deckel des Tages hochgeklappt worden war und der Mensch nun gleichsam einen Blick werfen konnte in die Ewigkeit? ~ Colleen McCullough, #NFDB
1322:Je me souviens d'une interminable digression d'au moins quatre-vingts pages, dans Notre-Dame de Paris, sur le fonctionnement des institutions judiciaires au Moyen Age. J'avais trouvé ça très fort. Mais j'avais sauté le passage. ~ Laurent Binet, #NFDB
1323:La postérité n'a jamais rendu l'étreinte des tombes moins dure. Elle a juste le mérite de modérer notre peur de la mort puisqu'il n'y a pas de thérapie mieux appropriée à notre inexorable finitude que l'illusion d'une belle éternité. ~ Yasmina Khadra, #NFDB
1324:The Neimoidian gave a long, gurgling sigh. “You’re right, Des. The decision is made. Grim fate and ill fortune have conspired against you. It’s not like sabacc; you can’t fold a bad hand. In life you just play the cards you’re dealt. ~ Drew Karpyshyn, #NFDB
1325:There was a time when I thought a great deal about the axolotls. I went to see them at the aquarium at the Jardin des Plantes and stayed for hours watching them, observing their immobility; their faint movements. Now I am an axolotl. ~ Julio Cortazar, #NFDB
1326:There was a time when I thought a great deal about the axolotls. I went to see them in the aquarium at the Jardin des Plantes and stayed for hours watching them, observing their immobility, their faint movements. Now I am an axolotl. ~ Julio Cort zar, #NFDB
1327:Dans ta vie, tu peux rencontrer des gens qui te veulent du mal. Si tu leur réponds immédiatement, avec précipitation, sans réfléchir, tu risques de tout rater. Les mauvais tireront leur épingle du jeu, alors que toi, tu te feras avoir. ~ D ng Thu H ng, #NFDB
1328:Den Wert von vieren kennen aber nur vier: Den Wert des Lebens kennen nur die Toten; den Wert des Gesunden nur die Kranken; den Wert der Jugendkraft kennen nur die Altersschwachen; und den Wert des Reichtums kennen nur die Armen. ~ Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, #NFDB
1329:En réalité, chacun de tes ennemis est ton remède, ton élixir, ton bienfaiteur, ton vrai ami. Car tu t’enfuis de lui et tu implores Dieu. En revanche, tes amis sont des ennemis. Car, en t’occupant, ils t’éloignent de la présence divine. ~ Nahal Tajadod, #NFDB
1330:[E]r sprach von einer Rasse von Fulltime-Lesern, von Bibliotheken, wimmelnd von Blaustrümpfen, die der Sonne und der Liebe untreu waren, von Häusern, wo der Geruch von Druckerschwärze der Fröhlichkeit des Knoblauchs den Garaus machte. ~ Julio Cort zar, #NFDB
1331:Et c'était là la chose importante: il fallait avant tout se libérer de la mère qui ne pouvait pas comprendre que dans la vie, on pouvait gagner sa liberté, sa dignité, avec des armes différentes de celles qu'elle avait crues bonnes. ~ Marguerite Duras, #NFDB
1332:L'imagination n'est pas, comme le suggère l'étymologie, la faculté de former des images de la réalité ; elle est la faculté de former des images qui dépassent la réalité, qui chantent la réalité. Elle est une faculté de surhumanité. ~ Gaston Bachelard, #NFDB
1333:Luc m'a pris dans ses bras. Je crois qu'il pleurait un peu, et je crois que moi aussi. C'est idiot, deux hommes qui sanglotent dans les bras l'un de l'autre. Peut-être pas, finalement, quand ce sont deux amis qui s'aiment comme des frères. ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
1334:Il lui arrivait souvent de regarder les vieilles dames qui traversaient d'un pas traînant les rues de la ville là ou l'autobus menaçait et savait qu'à l'intérieur de ces corps ratatinés souriaient des visages resplendissants d'adolescentes. ~ Ed McBain, #NFDB
1335:— Les gens, continue Lalix, ils se croient des petites merveilles, tout ce qu'ils font, tout ce qu'ils sont. Ils s'attribuent une importance... Alors, s'il fallait, par-dessus, encaisser le récit de leurs rêves, on n'en finirait plus. ~ Raymond Queneau, #NFDB
1336:Die Gildenbibliothek zählt zu den größten in der ganzen Stadt. Was bestimmte Themen anging, gab es keine größere – sie betrafen vor allem die bedauerliche Kürze des menschlichen Lebens sowie diverse Mittel, es noch kürzer zu gestalten. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
1337:Er versuchte verzweifelt, im Gehirn des Erzkanzlers einen Spalt zu finden, um die Brechstange des Verstehens hineinzustoßen.
Er spürte, wie die Fluten des Nichtbegreifens um ihn herum anschwollen, aber er weigerte sich zu ertrinken. ~ Terry Pratchett,#NFDB
1338:Le Dieu qui a fait le monde et toutes les choses qui y sont, lui qui est le Seigneur du ciel et de la terre, n'habite pas dans des temples faits de main; et il n'est pas servi par des mains d'hommes, comme s'il avait besoin de quelque chose, ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1339:Le Doux Sommeil Habite
Le doux sommeil habite où sourit la fortune,
Pareil aux faux amis, le malheur l'importune.
Il vole se poser, loin des cris de douleurs,
Sur des yeux que jamais n'ont altérés les pleurs.
~ Andre Marie de Chenier,#NFDB
1340:Les signes de changements collectifs ne sont pas perceptibles dans la particularité des vies, sauf peut-être dans le dégoût et la fatigue qui font penser secrètement 'rien ne changera donc jamais' à des milliers d'individus en même temps. ~ Annie Ernaux, #NFDB
1341:Matt n'avait jamais vu un lieu aussi féérique, une architecture aussi complexe.
C'était un véritable château des temps anciens, tout en verticalité, cherchant son inspiration dans les nuages. Une vision digne des contes pour enfants. ~ Maxime Chattam,#NFDB
1342:On aime toujours trop quand on aime vraiment. L'exces est de rigueur. ( Don Juan )
Votre Diablerie, vous ne pouvez dire cela. Tout est pour le pire dans le pire des mondes possibles. ( Le majordome dans L'Ecole du diable ) ~ ric Emmanuel Schmitt,#NFDB
1343:Schrei nicht los, wenn du eine halbe Stunde im Nebel stehst, nachts,einsam. Du triffst immer wieder auf die andern. Komm, Junge, werd nicht müde! Hör nicht hin auf die sentimentale Klimperei des süßen Xylophonspielers, hör nicht hin. ~ Wolfgang Borchert, #NFDB
1344:You are wrong, Jane,” Angélique said softly. “Love is about trust. Just as one must trust one’s partner in La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres, one must trust one’s heart. Love is a willingness to please someone you cherish and hold most dear. ~ Monica Burns, #NFDB
1345:[A]ber eigentlich ist doch gerade ein starker Wille das Markenzeichen des schwachen Menschen. Denn als solcher muss er ständig etwas wollen. Er muss wirken und werken, probieren und trainieren, derweil dem Starken alles wie von selbst gelingt. ~ Juli Zeh, #NFDB
1346:Car la vie est structure, lignes de force et injustice. Que fais-tu s'il est des enfants qui s'ennuient, sinon de leur imposer tes contraintes, lesquelles sont règles d'un jeu, après quoi tu les vois courrir.
(chapitre XCVI) ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
1347:C'est toute la jeunesse, toute la beauté, tout l’espérance du succès, tout l'idéal poétique de vie brillante, qu'on sacrifie à cette abominable loi de la reproduction qui fait de la femme normale une simple machine à pondre des êtres. ~ Guy de Maupassant, #NFDB
1348:En général, les hommes n'aspirent à s'instruire que dans la mesure où ils sont affranchis du joug de la tradition; car tant que celle-ci est maîtresse des intelligences, elle suffit à tout et ne tolère pas facilement de puissance rivale. ~ mile Durkheim, #NFDB
1349:Ich weiß nicht, ob jemals festgestellt wurde, daß ein Hauptmerkmal des Lebens die Separatheit ist. Wenn uns keine Fleischesschicht umhüllt, sterben wir. Der Mensch existiert nur in dem Maße, in dem er von seiner Umwelt abgesondert ist. ~ Vladimir Nabokov, #NFDB
1350:Il partait, lorsque, une dernière fois, il promena ses regards des deux fosses, vierges d’herbe, aux labours sans fin de la Beauce, que les semeurs emplissaient de leur geste continu. Des morts, des semences, et le pain poussait de la terre. ~ mile Zola, #NFDB
1351:Regarde, spectateur, remontée à bloc, de telle sorte que le ressort se déroule avec lenteur tout le long d'une vie humaine, une des plus parfaites machines construites par les dieux infernaux pour l'anéantissement mathématique d'un mortel. ~ Jean Cocteau, #NFDB
1352:Amantul se gândeşte mai des să ajungă la iubita lui decât soţul să-şi păzească nevasta; prizonierul se gândeşte mai des să evadeze decât temnicerul să ferece uşa; aşadar, oricare ar fi obstacolele, amantul şi prizonierul trebuie să izbândească. ~ Stendhal, #NFDB
1353:Certaines choses que Napoléon dit des femmes, plusieurs discussiions sur le mérite des romans à la mode sous son règne lui donnèrent alors, pour la première fois, quelques idées que tout autre jeune home de son age aurait eues depuis longtemps. ~ Stendhal, #NFDB
1354:Es gibt zweierlei: Wissen und Sein.
Es ist leicht, die Wahrheit zu wissen,
aber sehr schwer, Wahrheit zu sein.
Nicht im Wissen der Wahrheit erfüllt sich der Zweck des Lebens;
er erfüllt sich dadurch, dass man Wahrheit ist. ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan,#NFDB
1355:l'amour est la solution à la plupart des problèmes que rencontrent les êtres humains dans leur vie. Cela peut sembler une idée simple, convenue, et pourtant pratiquement personne ne la met en œuvre, car il est souvent difficile d'aimer. ~ Laurent Gounelle, #NFDB
1356:Les jours passent, la nuit reste. Maintenant, tu me manques. Des fois c'est tes bras, des fois c'est tes pas dont je crois reconnaître le bruit. La plupart du temps, c'est toi en entier, avec ta voix et tes petites façons d'être ma mère. ~ Mathias Malzieu, #NFDB
1357:livre sur le sujet où je parle de Baalbeck. Les inscriptions égyptiennes sur les murs intérieurs des pyramides ont été gravées des milliers d'années plus tard par des ouvriers et des maçons égyptiens et libyens. ~ Jean Maximillien De La Croix de Lafayette, #NFDB
1358:Mais ne suffisaient pas à nourrir mon désir qui déjà cherchait un autre corps, des brèches et des mystères plus grands que l'étalage des descriptions de l'enfer, du paradis et du dieu qui me semblait plus bavard que le monde qu'il avait créé ~ Kamel Daoud, #NFDB
1359:-Mon cher jeune homme, dit Aglaé en souriant, j'ai été professeur de chimie et je vous ferai remarquer qu'il peut y avoir des réactions en chaîne, qui partent très doucement et, s'alimentant elles-mêmes, peuvent se terminer de façon violente. ~ Boris Vian, #NFDB
1360:Eine große Erkenntnis vollzieht sich nur zur Hälfte im Lichtkreise des Gehirns, zur anderen Hälfte in dem dunklen Boden des Innersten, und sie ist vor allem ein Seelenzustand, auf dessen äußerster Spitze der Gedanke nur wie eine Blüte sitzt. ~ Robert Musil, #NFDB
1361:...[en terre d’Islam,] la distinction entre le sacré et le profane n’existe normalement que dans l’usage que l’on fait des œuvres d’art et non dans leurs formes : une maison n’est pas bâtie dans un style différent de celui d’une mosquée. ~ Titus Burckhardt, #NFDB
1362:Il ne faut point donner d'esprit a' ses personnages; mais savoir les placer dans des circonstances qui leur en donnent. You should not give wit to your characters, but know instead how to put them in situations which will make them witty. ~ Denis Diderot, #NFDB
1363:Jemand anderes mischt die Karten, mit denen wir spielen, und sooft wir darüber verzweifeln, so dankbar sind wir letzten Endes über die Gnade des Systems. Denn würden wir den Weg des Lebens weitergehen, wenn wir die Zukunft sehen könnten? ~ Sebastian Fitzek, #NFDB
1364:je m’en croyais la possession entièrement assurée, que j’avais négligé d’en calculer la valeur, ce qui faisait qu’il me paraissait forcément inférieur à des plaisirs, si petits qu’ils fussent, mais que, cherchant à les imaginer, j’évaluais. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
1365:Le système des silos met en place des carcans et a contribué à ralentir la société française. Notre monde manque de passerelles ; il faut les créer pour pouvoir utiliser toutes les énergies, qu’elles soient le fait de diplômes ou émotionnelles. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1366:L'éventail de choses à accomplir est réduit. Lire, tirer de l'eau, couper le bois, écrire et verser le thé deviennent des liturgies. En ville, chaque acte se déroule au détriment de mille autres. La forêt resserre ce que la ville disperse. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
1367:J'écris, pour dire que la lâche sérénité des silencieux garantit la victoire des injustes. J'écris, pour dire que le despote n'a que la puissance et l'autorité qu'on veut bien lui reconnaître, car se soustraire à son emprise, c'est l'anéantir. ~ Fatou Diome, #NFDB
1368:La nuit était merveilleuse – une de ces nuits comme notre jeunesse seule en connut. Un firmament si étoilé, si calme, qu’en le regardant on se
demandait involontairement : Peut-il vraiment exister des méchants sous un si beau ciel ? ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky,#NFDB
1369:On vivait dans l'ère des petites libertés individuelles, où chacun devait se sentir libre, peut-être que ça venait de là; certains, percevant l'illusion de ce système, se octrayient une véritable liberté, celle de vie et de mort sur autrui. ~ Maxime Chattam, #NFDB
1370:Simple remarque. Personne, fût-ce chez les meilleurs chrétiens, ne semble chercher Dieu ni même y penser. On se met à table comme des chiens et on se met au lit comme des cochons. Impossible d’obtenir la moindre attention quand on parle de Dieu. ~ L on Bloy, #NFDB
1371:UFO Hunters, animé par le très distingué Dr Bill Birnes - éditeur du magazine UFO - et un auteur et érudit très respecté a fait référence à ces programmes conjoints des extraterrestres et des États-Unis dans l'une ~ Jean Maximillien De La Croix de Lafayette, #NFDB
1372:Warum ist eigentlich das demokratische System besser?... Es ist besser, weil es die volle Entwicklung des Menschen als Individuum möglich macht. Aber... das zeigt nur, daß die Demokratie eine >angenehmere< Form der Regierung ist [...]. ~ Robert Dallek, #NFDB
1373:Zemii sunt animale sociabile şi inteligente, mai mult sau mai puţin. Viaţa lor de zi cu zi cuprinde numeroase reguli de comportamentare, ritualuri şi ceremonii, încălcate însă atât de des încît e greu de distins între regulă şi excepţii. ~ Mircea C rt rescu, #NFDB
1374:Chaque fois je vais sentir moins et souvenant plus, mais quelle est la mémoire, mais le langage des sentiments, un dictionnaire des visages et des jours et des parfums qui reviennent comme des verbes et des adjectifs dans la parole." Marelle ~ Julio Cort zar, #NFDB
1375:Die Tatsache, dass wahre Schönheit mit Selbstvergessenheit zu tun hatte, passte zum seltsamen Humor des Schöpfers: Jene, die sie besaßen, wussten nichts damit anzufangen, während alle, die etwas davon verstanden, niemals in ihren Besitz gelangten. ~ Juli Zeh, #NFDB
1376:Il est démontré, disait-il, que les choses ne peuvent être autrement; car tout étant fait pour une fin, tout est nécessairement pour la meilleure fin. Remarquez bien que les nez ont été faits pour porter des lunettes; aussi avons-nous des lunettes ~ Voltaire, #NFDB
1377:J’ai vu ses yeux de fougère s’ouvrir le matin sur un monde où les battements d’ailes de l’espoir immense se distinguent à peine des autres bruits qui sont ceux de la terreur et, sur ce monde, je n’avais vu encore que des yeux se fermer. ~ André Breton, Nadja, #NFDB
1378:- C'est là que je viens me cacher quand j'ai peur.
- Peur de quoi, Madame Rosa ?
- C'est pas nécessaire d'avoir des raisons pour avoir peur, Momo.
Ça, j'ai jamais oublié, parce que c'est la chose la plus vraie que j'aie jamais entendue. ~ Romain Gary,#NFDB
1379:Combien de gens se font abstraits pour para?tre profonds! La plupart des termes abstraits sont des ombres qui cachent des vides. How many people become abstract in order to appear profound! Most abstract terms are shadows that conceal a void. ~ Joseph Joubert, #NFDB
1380:L'Islam, durant le printemps de son expansion, ne fait que rendre vie à l'antique civilisation orientale (...). Il s'agit là d'une civilisation solide e édifiée sur des régions fort riches, auprès desquelles l'Arabie fait très pauvre figure. ~ Fernand Braudel, #NFDB
1381:Quand nous rencontrons des amis, nous parlons toujours des mêmes choses et des mêmes personnes. Les conversations semblent nouvelles, mais tout n'est que perte de temps et d'énergie. Nous nous efforçons de montrer que la vie reste intéressante. ~ Paulo Coelho, #NFDB
1382:Toute transformation sociale (...) s'est fondée sur de nouvelles bases métaphysiques et idéologiques; ou plutôt, sur des émotions et intuitions plus profondes, dont l'expression rationalisée prend la forme du cosmos et de la nature de l'homme. ~ Lewis Mumford, #NFDB
1383:Tout vagabond des steppes entretient une conversation amicale avec êtres vivants qui l'entourent. C'est le syndrome de saint François d'Assise. L'acidité de la solitude se transforme en un miel affectif qui se répand sur toutes les créatures. ~ Sylvain Tesson, #NFDB
1384:Eh bien, quand je travaille, et je travaille nuit et jour, quand je travaille, il y a des moments où je ne me souviens plus, et quand je ne me souviens plus, je suis heureux à la manière des morts: mais cela vaut encore mieux que de souffrir. ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
1385:Je vois personne sur la route", dit Alice.
"Comme je voudrais avoir d'aussi bons yeux", remarqua le roi d'un ton amer. "Voir Personne! Et à cette distance encore! Moi, tout ce dont je suis capable de voir, sous cette lumière, c'est des gens! ~ Lewis Carroll,#NFDB
1386:Les cœurs des femmes sont comme ces petits meubles à secret, pleins de tiroirs emboîtés les uns dans les autres ; on se donne du mal, on se casse les ongles, et on trouve au fond quelque fleur desséchée, des brins de poussière – ou le vide ! ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
1387:Non, c'était faux. Il y avait toujours des conséquences. On ne pouvait pas y échapper, quel que soit le camp dans lequel on était. Quelles que soient les personnes au côté desquelles on combattait. Il y avait toujours un perdant dans l’affaire. ~ Marissa Meyer, #NFDB
1388:So lebte Barbara, und vielleicht gab der Umstand, das sie auf Nicoletta wartete,daß sie zu jeder Stunde des Tages auf Nicolettas überraschende Ankunft vorbereitet war, ihren Leben den geheimen Sinn, das rätselhafte Zentrum, das es bedurfte. ~ Klaus Mann, #NFDB
1389:[107] Comme on dirait un gobe-mouche, un désœuvré, un oisif, qui bat l’eau pour faire des ronds, qui fume pour faire quelque chose et ne fait autre emploi de ses dix doigts que de soutenir le tuyau de sa pipe de l’air du monde le plus préoccupé. ~ Nikolai Gogol, #NFDB
1390:Batterie S-25 Berkut/SA-1 Guild sur la base de lancement de Kapoustine Iar. Par deux fois, cette installation fut attaquée par des extraterrestres et des OVNIS allemands. Tout est consigné dans des dossiers militaires ~ Jean Maximillien De La Croix de Lafayette, #NFDB
1391:C'était une nuit de pleine lune. On y voyait comme en plein jour. Une armée de nuages aussi cotonneux que des flocons vint masquer le ciel. Ils étaient des milliers de guerriers blancs à prendre possession du ciel. C'était l'armée de la neige. ~ Maxence Fermine, #NFDB
1392:Der Versuch, dem objektiven Gehalt Bachs zu seinem Recht zu verhelfen, indem man die subjektive Anstrengung bloß daran wendet, das Subjekt auszumerzen, überschlägt sich. Objektivität bleibt nicht als Rest der Substraktion des Subjekts zurück. ~ Theodor W Adorno, #NFDB
1393:Des créatures crasseuses et méchantes, brutales, parfaitement stupides, qui vivent dans le sang, la haine et leurs propres excréments. Ils s'agglutinent là, dans la nuit, comme de grosses mouches à merde autour de vitrines de luxe désertes. ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
1394:Elle aurait écouté des heures durant cette parole arrachée à l'épaisseur des jours. Parce que le temps passé à se parler ainsi n'est pas du temps, c'est de la lumière. Le temps passé à se parler ainsi, c'est de l'eau qui lave l'âme, le bon ange. ~ Yanick Lahens, #NFDB
1395:Es ist dieses Bild, mit dem ich lebe, sagte Dahlem, dieser vor den Flammen in den Tod springende Mann. Das Etui erinnert mich nicht nur an mein gerettetes Leben, sondern auch an den Tod des anderen. Der Splitter ist der blinde, sinnlose Zufall Leben. ~ Uwe Timm, #NFDB
1396:Il est probablement impossible, pour des gens ayant vécu et prospéré dans un système social donné, d'imaginer le point de vue de ceux qui, n'ayant jamais rien eu à attendre de ce système, envisagent sa destruction sans frayeur particulière. ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
1397:Que pouvions-nous faire, donc? Vivre? C'est exactement dans ce genre de situation qu'écrasés par le sentiment de leur propre insignifiance les gens se décident à faire des enfants; ainsi se reproduit l'espèce, de moins en moins il est vrai. ~ Michel Houellebecq, #NFDB
1398:- J'ai horreur de m'être livrée au premier venu, dit Mathilde, en pleurant de rage contre elle-même.
- Au premier venu! s'écria Julien, et il s'élança sur une vieille épée du moyen âge [...] Il eût été le plus heureux des hommes de pouvoir la tuer. ~ Stendhal,#NFDB
1399:(les Egyptiens...)avaient choisi le riche au détriment du juste, la rapacité au détriment de la justice. Les Américains n'avaient rien fait de tel.
Et pourtant, partout sur leur terre, les saules allaient pleurer la fin de bien des rêves.(p.207) ~ Imbolo Mbue,#NFDB
1400:Pourquoi avoir écrit ce rapport ? Afin de vous préparer ! Vous préparer ? L'une des premières véritables photographies d'un objet volant non identifié (OVNI), prise quelque part aux États-Unis durant les années 1920. ~ Jean Maximillien De La Croix de Lafayette, #NFDB
1401:Toutes ces choses que j'avais apprises, auxquelles j'avais cru jusque-là, n'étaient plus que des détails dépourvus de tout intérêt, et des choses que j'ignorais surgirent des recoins où elles s'étaient terrées jusque-là et me lancèrent des signaux. ~ Orhan Pamuk, #NFDB
1402:Aber wenn das menschliche Schuldgefühl auf die Tötung des Urvaters zurückgeht, das war doch ein Fall von 'Reue', und damals soll der Voraussetzung nach Gewissen und Schuldgefühl vor der Tat nicht bestanden haben? Woher kam in diesem Fall die Reue? ~ Sigmund Freud, #NFDB
1403:Ces travaux qui ne durèrent pas plus de 3 mois, occupent cependant dans ma mémoire, une place considérable, car c'est à la lumière du bec Matador que j'ai découvert l'intelligence de mes mains, et la prodigieuse efficacité des plus simples outils. ~ Marcel Pagnol, #NFDB
1404:Dans un pays où les décideurs s'évertuent à construire une villa à leurs rejetons là où il est question de leur bâtir une nation, il n'est pas rare de rencontrer des talents chevronnés trimer au fond des gargotes afin de joindre les deux bouts... ~ Yasmina Khadra, #NFDB
1405:Et leur conclusion fut, que vous feriez bien,
De prendre moins de soin des actions des autres,
Et de vous mettre, un peu, plus en peine des vôtres.
Qu'on doit se regarder soi-même, un fort long temps,
Avant que de songer à condamner les gens ~ Moli re,#NFDB
1406:Il y a des rêves qui se déroulent comme des incidents sans importance, de la vie éveillée on ne retiendrait pas des choses comme ça et cependant ils intéressent lorsqu'on les saisit au matin se poussant en désordre contre la porte des paupières. ~ Raymond Queneau, #NFDB
1407:Mais, parce qu'ils n'ont pas été assez heureux pour trouver des mosquées dans leur pays, crois-tu qu'ils soient condamnés à des châtiments éternels, et que Dieu les punisse pour n'avoir pas pratiqué une religion qu'il ne leur a pas fait connaître ? ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
1408:Ma Rivière coule vers Toi -
Mer bleue - Veux-tu m'accueillir ?
Ma Rivière attend une réponse.
Ô Mer - montre-toi bienveillante !
J'irai te chercher des Ruisseaux
Dans des vallons diaprés -
Allez Mer - tu me prends ? ~ Emily Dickinson,#NFDB
1409:Corto à lui même: Ce serait bon de vivre dans une fable.
Bouche Dorée à Corto: Oh oui!… Mais toi tu vis continuellement une fable et tu ne t'en aperçois plus. Lorsqu'un adulte entre dans le monde des fables, il ne peut plus en sortir. Le savais-tu? ~ Hugo Pratt,#NFDB
1410:Delle filosofie, nell'emisfero boreale, accade ció che nell'emisfero australe accade dei sostantivi: il fatto che ogni filosofia non possa essere, in partenza, che un gioco dialettico, una Philosophie des Als Ob, ha contribuito a moltiplicarle. ~ Jorge Luis Borges, #NFDB
1411:Die Moral unserer Zeit ist, was immer sonst geredet werden möge, die der Leistung. Fünf mehr oder weniger betrügerische Konkurse sind gut, wenn auf den fünften eine Zeit des Segens und des Segenspendens folgt. Der Erfolg kann alles vergessen machen. ~ Robert Musil, #NFDB
1412:En Europe, les bibliothèques des grandes villes ouvrent le dimanche et tous les jours de la semaine jusqu’à 22 heures. A Copenhague, elles ouvrent cent heures par semaine contre trente en moyenne en France, quarante heures dans nos plus grandes villes. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1413:il faut vivre avec les hommes tels qu ils sont : les gens qu on dit etre de si bonne compagnie ne sont souvent que ceux dont les vices sont plus raffines ; et peut-etre en est-il comme des poisons, dont les plus subtils sont aussi les plus dangereux. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
1414:Je dis seulement qu'il y a sur cette terre des fléaux et des victimes et qu'il faut, autant qu'il est possible, refuser d'êre avec le fléau. Cela vous paraîra peut-être un peu simple, et je ne sais si cela est simple, mais je sais que cela est vrai. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
1415:-A veces encuentra algo- comentó Holmes, encogiéndose de hombros-. De cuando en cuando tiene algún chispaso de razón, "il n'y a pas des sots si incomodes que ceux qui ont de l'ésprit!" ( "Los tontos que más molestan son los que tienen ingenio") ~ Arthur Conan Doyle, #NFDB
1416:Car la même sensation reparaît chaque fois l'ordre établi de choses est renversé, que la sécurité n'existe plus, que tout ce que protégeait les lois des hommes oub celles de la nature, se trouve à la merci d'une brutalité inconsciente et féroce. ~ Guy de Maupassant, #NFDB
1417:(..)Fate has always been a potent force in Russia, where, for generations, citizens have had little control over their own destinies. Fate can be a bitch, but, as Zaitsev, Dvornik, and Onofrecuk had discovered, it can also be a tiger. ~ John Vaillant, #NFDB
1418:La vie serait si simple si l'on n'avait qu'à noyer les tristesses dans les joies pour peindre des arcs-en-ciel par tous les temps. Tu peux faire fondre le sel comme le sucre, mais jamais le goût que tu en as. Rien ne change le goût des choses passées. ~ Fatou Diome, #NFDB
1419:Pour la première fois, en buvant des cerises
à l'eau-de-vi', je me saoûlai.
C'était aux Andelys, je crois, et ma famille
me regardait fort amusée.
Elle ne pensait pas qu'un jour mes fortes cuites
la feraient un peu déchanter ~ Raymond Queneau,#NFDB
1420:Comme l'ennui. Nous étions devenus des êtres d'ennui, des paquets bourrés d'ennui.L'ennui sentait l'odeur des cimetières quand la pierre est humide. Il tournait autour de nous, rongeait nos paupières, striait la peau et s'enfonçait dans le ventre ~ Tahar Ben Jelloun, #NFDB
1421:Emmi sprach zu Hillegonda vom Tod, um ihr die Nichtigkeit des Lebens zu beweisen, und sie führte sie in die hohen dunklen Kirchen, um ihren Sinn auf die Ewigkeit zu lenken, aber die kleine Hillegonda schauderte vor dem Tod und fror in den Kirchen. ~ Wolfgang Koeppen, #NFDB
1422:La religion est une insulte à la dignité humaine. Que ce soit avec ou sans elle, il y aura toujours des gens bien qui font de bonnes choses, et des mauvais qui font de mauvaises choses. Mais pour que des gens bien agissent mal, il faut la religion. ~ Steven Weinberg, #NFDB
1423:L’égalité, sur le plan des matériaux, exige, si nous prétendons définir et réaliser, qu’ils occupent tous une place identique, et jouent le même rôle. Ce qui est absurde. Le principe d’Égalité
s’abâtardit, alors, en principe d’Identité. ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry,#NFDB
1424:Condamné à mort!
Eh bien, pourquoi non ? Les hommes, je me rappelle l’avoir lu dans je ne sais quel livre où il n’y avait que cela de bon, les hommes sont tous condamnés à mort avec des sursis indéfinis. Qu’y a-t-il donc de si changé à ma situation ? ~ Victor Hugo,#NFDB
1425:Il pénètre dans un espace dense envahi de
fantômes et de géométries intentionnelles; telle est la configuration du monde: la totalité des points de vue passés et présents qui se croisent dans l'espace. Le monde est un champ miné de perspectives. ~ Pola Oloixarac,#NFDB
1426:Denn dies haßte, verabscheute und verfluchte ich von allem doch am innigsten: diese Zufriedenheit, diese Gesundheit, Behaglichkeit, diesen gepflegten Optimismus des Bürgers, diese fette gedeihliche Zucht des Mittelmäßigen, Normalen, Durchschnittlichen. ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
1427:Eine Führerpersönlichkeit kann ohne Gedächnis sein. Vollkommen amnesiert. Denn die besondere Begabung des Führers ist nicht das Aufräumen trockener Fakten - seine besondere Begabung ist die rasche Entscheidung und die Übernahme der Verantwortung darfür. ~ Timur Vermes, #NFDB
1428:Ich ging in die Wälder, weil ich bewusst leben wollte.
Ich wollte das Dasein auskosten. Ich wollte das Mark des Lebens einsaugen!
Und alles fortwerfen, das kein Leben barg, um nicht an meinem Todestag Innezuwerden, daß ich nie gelebt hatte. ~ Henry David Thoreau,#NFDB
1429:L'amour est une fumée de soupirs ; dégagé, c'est une flamme qui étincelle aux yeux des amants ; comprimé, c'est une mer qu'alimentent leurs larmes. Qu'est-ce encore ? La folle la plus raisonnable, une suffocante amertume, une vivifiante douceur ! ~ William Shakespeare, #NFDB
1430: Mon cher Usbek, quand je vois des hommes qui rampent sur un atome, c'est-à-dire la terre, qui n'est qu'un point de l'univers, se proposer directement pour modèles de la Providence, je ne sais comment accorder tant d'extravagance avec tant de petitesse. ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
1431:Der Verrückte nickte. "Horus", sagte er. "Ich bin der Falke des Morgens, der Greifvogel des Nachmittags. Ich bin die Sonne, so wie du. Und ich kenne den wahren Namen von Ra. Meine Mutter hat ihn mir verraten."
"Das ist großartig", sagte Shadow höflich. ~ Neil Gaiman,#NFDB
1432:Écrire... c'est perdre ce qu'on est au profit de ce qu'on voit. On écrit parce qu'on a une maladie de peau, parce qu'on s'aperçoit qu'on est venu au monde sans peau et que le plus léger contact entraîne des résonances du songe et brûle un nerf obscur. ~ Christian Bobin, #NFDB
1433:Ich habe solche Angst vor euch, daß sich mein Rückgrat in Brei verwandelt. Allerdings leide ich derzeit an einer Überdosis des Entsetzens. Ich meine, wenn ich mich davon erholt habe, habe ich bestimmt Gelegenheit, mich angemessen vor euch zu fürchten. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
1434:Il nous arrive d'avoir des pensées que nous ne comprenons pas nous-même. Des pensées qui n'ont rien de véridique - qui ne représentent pas vraiment ce qu'on ressent - mais qui nous traversent quand même l'esprit parce qu'elle valent le coup d'être étudiées. ~ Jay Asher, #NFDB
1435:La femme n'étonne jamais autant son compagnon que par cette étrange capacité qu'elle possède de croire en des cajoleries qu'elle sait fausses - sauf, à dire vrai, quand elle se montre ouvertement sceptique vis-à-vis de remarques qu'elle sait être vraies. ~ Thomas Hardy, #NFDB
1436:Quittant Neuilly pour Paris XVIe, nous sommes entrés dans une vitesse sans mémoire, la rapidité des gens qui n'ont plus de temps à perdre, ou plutôt : nous inventions une nouvelle bourgeoisie qui n'avait plus le luxe de s'intéresser au temps perdu. ~ Fr d ric Beigbeder, #NFDB
1437:So viel hast du getan, und so viel mehr hättest du noch getan, aye, und alles ohne Hemmungen noch Skrupel, und so wird die Welt dereinst enden, dünkt mich, kein Opfer des Hasses, sondern der Liebe. War die Liebe doch schon immer die vernichtendere Waffe. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
1438:Toi, tu auras des étoiles comme personne n'en a ... Quand tu regarderas le ciel, la nuit, puisque j'habiterai dans l'une d'elles, puisque je rirai dans l'une d'elles, alors ce sera pour toi comme si riaient toutes les étoiles qui savent rire! ~ Antoine de Saint Exup ry, #NFDB
1439:Aby Warburg est ainsi à l’origine d’un fonds bibliophilique inouï. Il a des théories sur le rangement des livres. Notamment celle du bon voisinage. Le livre que l’on cherche n’est pas forcément celui que l’on doit lire. Il faut regarder celui d’à côté. ~ David Foenkinos, #NFDB
1440:Arrive-t-il un moment de la vie où le bonheur est passé, où l’on n’attend plus rien ? Est-ce cela que vieillir ? Lorsque aujourd’hui ne parle que d’hier, quand le présent n’est plus qu’un trait de nostalgie que l’on cache pudiquement par des éclats de rire ? ~ Marc Levy, #NFDB
1441:Car tout bourgeois, dans l'échauffement de sa jeunesse, ne fût-ce qu'un jour, une minute, s'est cru capable d'immenses passions, de hautes entreprises. Le plus médiocre libertin. a rêvé des sultanes ; chaque notaire porte en soi les débris d'un poète. ~ Gustave Flaubert, #NFDB
1442:fait pour être si facilement heureux! Le bonheur est comme ces palais des îles enchantées dont les dragons gardent les portes. Il faut combattre pour le conquérir, et moi, en vérité, je ne sais en quoi j'ai mérité le bonheur d'être le mari de Mercédès. ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
1443:Ici, nous coupons les gorges des blessés et descendons les nôtres plutôt que de les laisser derrière nous. Le souvenir de cette photographie floue le hantait. Il baissa les yeux sur Kathleen. Il ferait la même chose avec elle pour lui épargner une telle fin. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1444:Il sentait vaguement des pensées lui venir ; il les aurait dites, peut-être, mais il ne les pouvait point formuler avec des mots écrits. Et son impuissance l’enfiévrant, il se leva de nouveau, les mains humides de sueur et le sang battant aux tempes. ~ Guy de Maupassant, #NFDB
1445:Imaginez seulement combien ça simplifie la vie. Combien plus fluides sont toutes les transactions, tous les échanges. Combien d’énergies consacrées au contrôle —et à son contournement— sont du coup libérées pour faire des choses vraiment utiles pour l’autre— ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1446:Le secret des grandes fortunes sans cause apparente est un crime
oublié, parce qu' il a été proprement fait." (Literally: Behind all great wealth lies a forgotten crime -- forgotten because it was so well done."
Think about it, Corporate America! ~ Honor de Balzac,#NFDB
1447:Les espoirs les désespoirs sont effacésLes règnes abolis les tourments les tourmentes Se coiffent de méprisLes astres sont dans l’eau la beauté n’a plus d’ombresTous les yeux se font face et des regards égauxPartagent la merveille d’être en dehors du temps ~ Paul Éluard, #NFDB
1448:L'intelligence l'avait toujours fasciné et son décryptage était devenu, au fil des années, sa passion. Les mécanismes de l'intelligence, son origine, ses manifestations, ses failles et dérobades lui semblaient les seuls à pouvoir décrire l'état d'humain. ~ Andrea H Japp, #NFDB
1449:[...] Mots exagérés pour dire qu'il est des réclusions mineures où l'on passe finalement un temps très long avant de s'en libérer. Car c'est bien un acte de volonté subit qui décide du terme et l'on se demande pourquoi on ne s'en est pas délivré plus tôt. ~ Erri De Luca, #NFDB
1450:My name is not Des,” he said, his voice rising as he stood up to his full height so that he towered over Lucia. “I am Darth Bane, Dark Lord of the Sith. I feel neither pity nor gratitude nor remorse. And Caleb’s daughter must pay for what she did to me. ~ Drew Karpyshyn, #NFDB
1451:Ohne Bedenken brach er das Versprechen, das er sich selbst gegeben hatte. Derlei Schwüre gelten nur für Möwen, die mit dem Mittelmaß zufrieden sind. Wer einmal das Außerordentliche erfahren hat, kann sich nicht mehr an die Normen des Durchschnitts binden. ~ Richard Bach, #NFDB
1452:With characteristic exuberance Tom named this curiously constructed
house Castel des Tours saunz Nowmbre, which means the Castle of
Innumerable Towers. David Montefiore had counted the innumerable
towers in 1764. There were fourteen of them. ~ Susanna Clarke,#NFDB
1453:Der Verfall des Schenkens spiegelt sich in der peinlichen Erfindung der Geschenkartikel, die bereits darauf angelegt sind, daß man nicht weiß, was man schenken soll, weil man es eigentlich gar nicht will. Diese Waren sind beziehungslos wie ihre Käufer. ~ Theodor W Adorno, #NFDB
1454:Es war eine traditionelle Zwergenaxt: auf der einen Seite eine Spitzhacke, um interessante Mineralien aus dem Boden zu lösen, und auf der anderen eine Axt – weil die Besitzer des Landes mit den interessanten Mineralien manchmal unvernünftig sein können. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
1455:Il faut avant tout chasser et détruire cette crainte de l'Achéron ( le fleuve des enfers ) qui, pénétrant jusqu'au fond de notre être, empoisonne la vie humaine, colore toute chose de la noirceur de la mort et ne laisse subsister aucun plaisir limpide et pur. ~ Lucretius, #NFDB
1456:La nature nous l'enseigne chaque jour, il faut faire le deuil des choses passées, parce que ce qui pointe devant brille d'une beauté sans cesse renouvelée.
Faire le deuil, en gardant sur les lèvres le goût de ce qu'elles furent. Des deuils de miel... ~ Franck Thilliez,#NFDB
1457:Le véritable renonçant est parfaitement sain d’esprit et bien informé de ce qui se passe autour de lui. Il ne fuit pas le monde parce qu’il est incapable de le gérer, mais se désintéresse des préoccupations futiles parce qu’il en voit les inconvénients. ~ Matthieu Ricard, #NFDB
1458:Une civilisation 'seconde': comme le christianisme a hérité de l'Empire romain qu'il prolonge, l'Islam se saisira, à ses débuts, du Proche-Orient, l'un des plus vieux, peut-être le plus vieux carrefour d'hommes et de peuples civilisés qui soit au monde. ~ Fernand Braudel, #NFDB
1459:Wissen ist Wohlstand! Keine Stadt ohne Weltklasse-Universität wird am Ende des 21. Jahrhunderts noch der Rede wert sein. Die Ballungsräume der Zukunft formen sich mit Sicherheit um Forschungseinrichtungen, nicht um Häfen, Lagerhäuser und Autobahnknoten. ~ Christoph Keese, #NFDB
1460:C'est un monde fait pour des monomaniaques obsédés par l'idée de progrès... mais d'un faux progrès qui pue. C'est un monde encombré d'objets inutiles que, pour mieux les exploiter et les dégrader, on a enseigné aux homes et femmes à considérer comme utiles. ~ Henry Miller, #NFDB
1461:Dann sprach er über die Abgründe des Daseins, wo alles Mysterium und Rätsel ist: "Wir wissen nichts über die Person, die wir sind, und ihr Dasein", sagte er. (Die Sehnsucht, zu wissen, bleibt natürlich, selbst in der größten Verzweiflung des Nichtwissens. ~ Samuel Beckett, #NFDB
1462:-El amor no siempre es bonito, Tate. A veces te pasas todo el tiempo esperando que finalmente sea algo diferente. Algo mejor. Entonces, antes de que te des cuenta, has vuelto al punto de partida, y perdiste tu corazón en algún lugar a lo largo del camino. ~ Colleen Hoover, #NFDB
1463:Ik begreep dat vriendschap een verfijnde vorm van vijandschap is. Je draait om elkaar heen tot je kunt toeslaan. Hoe beter je aan elkaar gewaagd bent, des te nauwkeuriger verzamel je je gegevens en met des te meer zorgvuldigheid kies je het ogenblik. (p. 71) ~ J J Voskuil, #NFDB
1464:les psychologues, par exemple, limitent ordinairement leurs observations à un seul type d’humanité, l’Occidental moderne, et ils étendent abusivement les résultats ainsi obtenus jusqu’à prétendre en faire, sans exception, des caractères de l’homme en général. ~ Ren Gu non, #NFDB
1465:Les vies n'ont pas de sens en fait, elles vont et viennent souvent comme des tsunamis, avec le même fracas, et elles drainent des débris qui croupissent dans ta tête comme autant de reliques, qui te semblent des trésors et ne tiennent pas la position. ~ Patrick Chamoiseau, #NFDB
1466:Lors de la retraite des Napolitains, sa sœur a été violée par les soldats, qui lui ont ensuite coupé la tête et ont laissé dans la rue le corps nu et la tête coupée. Le corps et la tête ont été trouvés et pieusement recueillis par les carabiniers génois. ~ Alexandre Dumas, #NFDB
1467:Si on a regardé un homme jusqu'à ne plus voir en lui que ce qui le fait différent des autres, le particulier en lui, il est bouleversant de retrouver avec d'autant plus de force qu'on l'oubliait déjà, que l'essentiel en lui c'est ce qui ressemble aux autres ~ Louis Aragon, #NFDB
1468:C'était au reste un de ces hommes qui aiment assister à leur propre vie, considérant comme déplacée toute ambition de la vivre. On aura remarqué que ceux-là contemplent leur destin à la façon dont la plupart des autres contemplent une journée de pluie. ~ Alessandro Baricco, #NFDB
1469:donc sur l’issue de notre entreprise, tout en marchant à l’assaut du Sneffels. La route devenait de plus en plus difficile ; le sol montait ; les éclats de roches s’ébranlaient, et il fallait la plus scrupuleuse attention pour éviter des chutes dangereuses. ~ Jules Verne, #NFDB
1470:Freund, mein getreuer Sklave, wie Sie sagen, wenn Sie noch ferner die Notwendigkeit des Krieges leugnen und noch länger die Greuel verteidigen wollen, welche dieser Antichrist begeht, denn es ist der Antichrist selbst, davon bin ich überzeugt. Setzen Sie sich ~ Leo Tolstoy, #NFDB
1471:Guénon nous dit une fois que si nous pouvions rencontrer des hommes de l’âge d’or, nous serions frappés par le fait qu’ils parleraient toujours en images et non en langage abstrait.
(De l'Esprit symboliste - Études Traditionnelles N°340, juin 1957) ~ Frithjof Schuon,#NFDB
1472:He’d recently turned forty, and this fact caromed inside his head when he stared at the cigarette burn on his room’s garish polyester bedspread, ate a dollar hot dog for dinner, washed his underwear in the sink, and got hung up on by widows from Des Moines. ~ Richard Lange, #NFDB
1473:Il disparut à jamais, cet être sans défense à qui personne n'avait jamais témoigné d'affection, ni porté le moindre intérêt, non, personne, pas même l'un de ces naturalistes toujours prêts à épingler la plus banale des mouches pour l'examiner au microscope. ~ Nikolai Gogol, #NFDB
1474:J’ai entendu tant de raisonnements qui ont failli me tourner la tête, et qui ont tourné suffisamment d’autres têtes pour les faire consentir à l’assassinat, que j'ai compris que tout le malheur des hommes venait de ce qu'ils ne tenaient pas un langage clair. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
1475:La plupart des enfants quittent la maison paternelle à dix ou douze ans ; j’attendis jusqu’à seize. Et je ne crois pas que je l’aurais encore quittée, si je n’avais un jour entendu parler à ma vieille mère de m’établir à mon propre compte dans l’épicerie. ~ Edgar Allan Poe, #NFDB
1476:La véracité transsudait de ma vision : elle avait le ton et la force de sa réalité. J’ai fermé à demi les yeux, comme pour arranger des plis d’un rideau de théâtre et intensifier la mise en scène, mais sa voix approchait toujours, me brûlant les paupières. ~ Pola Oloixarac, #NFDB
1477:C'est aux arabes que les habitants de l'Europe empruntèrent, avec les lois de la chevalerie, le respect galant des femmes, qu'imposaient ces lois. Ce ne fut donc pas le christianisme, ainsi qu'on le croit généralement, mais bien l'Islam qui révéla la femme. ~ Gustave Le Bon, #NFDB
1478:Die Flügel gespannt! Die Segel heraus
Dem Aar gleich des Lebens Meer ich durchsaus -
Lass hinten der Möwen Scharen..
Über Bord mit Vernunft, dem schweren Ballast!
Vielleicht wird mein Schiff vom Strudel erfasst
Doch es ist so herrlich zu fahren ~ Henrik Ibsen,#NFDB
1479:Lorsque Mr et Mrs Dursley s’éveillèrent, au matin du mardi où commence cette histoire, il faisait gris et triste et rien dans le ciel nuageux ne laissait prévoir que des choses étranges et mystérieuses allaient bientôt se produire dans tout le pays. Mr Dursley ~ J K Rowling, #NFDB
1480:Morgenluft! Wenn die Menschen von ihr nicht an der Quelle des Tages trinken wollen, werden wir ein wenig von ihr auf Flaschen füllen müssen und sie in den Läden verkaufen, zum Wohle derer, die ihr Rezept für Morgenstunden in dieser Welt verloren haben. ~ Henry David Thoreau, #NFDB
1481:Once I saw Desjardins’ house, I hated him even more. It was a huge mansion on the other side of the Tuileries, on the rue des Pyramids. “Pyramids Road?” Sadie said. “Obvious, much?” “Maybe he couldn’t find a place on Stupid Evil Magician Street,” I suggested. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
1482:Pour la première fois, selon une enquête Ifop pour « Le Figaro » publié ce week-end, le président serait aujourd'hui battu par Marine Le Pen au second tour de la présidentielle, par 54 % des suffrages contre 46 %. Au premier tour, il ne dépasserait pas les 17 %. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1483:Recherchez des personnes qui croient en vous, vous admirent et peuvent vous aider à atteindre vos objectifs. Il vous incombe de rechercher activement ce genre d’individus afin d’améliorer votre cercle d’influence – le hasard les met
rarement sur votre chemin. ~ Hal Elrod,#NFDB
1484:Solltet ihr jemals Gelegenheit bekommen, eine flammende Rede zu hören, die einen Heiligen Krieg beschwört, so nehmen eure Ohren gewiß das heisere Krächzen des Unheils wahr, während der Schuppenschwanz des Verhängnisses über die Reinheit der Sprache kratzt. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
1485:Une éthique véritablement socialiste, c'est-à-dire qui cherche la justice sans supprimer la liberté, qui impose aux individus des charges mais sans abolir l'individualité, se trouvera fort embarrassée par les problèmes que pose la condition de la femme. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
1486:Ce qui retentit pour nous aux confins de cette longue aventure révoltée, ce ne sont pas des formules d’optimisme, dont nous n’avons que faire dans l’extrémité de notre malheur, mais des paroles de courage et d’intelligence qui, près de la mer, sont même vertu. ~ Albert Camus, #NFDB
1487:Das Unwirkliche ist das, was man untereinander nicht teilen kann. Was auch immer aus dieser Gemeinsamkeit herausfällt, das fällt aus dem Kreis menschlicher Angelegenheiten, geht über die Grenzen des menschlichen Theaters, über die Grenzen der Literatur hinaus. ~ Bruno Schulz, #NFDB
1488:Je sens en moi, confusément, des aspirations extraordinaires, des sortes de lames de fond, des mouvements, des agitations incompréhensibles, et que je ne veux pas chercher à comprendre, que je ne veux même pas observer, par crainte de les empêcher de se produire. ~ Andr Gide, #NFDB
1489:J’ étais prétentieux, disait l’un de mes professeurs ; farfelu, disaient mes camarades, à l’exception de mon ami Claude Laurent (car j’aimais et aimerai l’amitié et aurai toujours des amis). Il m’a donc fallu apprendre à devenir indifférent à l’opinion d’autrui. ~ Paul Veyne, #NFDB
1490:Jimi Hendrix often spoke about being a messenger. His hope was that his music might somehow pierce our hearts and heal our souls. He finally did go so far out that he couldn’t find his way back in, but he did us all a huge favor—he left his music with us. ~ Pamela Des Barres, #NFDB
1491:Keller-Jakob, A. 1950. "Die atmosphärische Kur des Arnold Rikli genannt Sonnendoktor (The Atmospheric Cure of Arnold Rikli called the Sun Doctor)" in C. Fauser, Ed. Bewahrte Naturheilkuren (Proven Nature Cures). Zurich: Schweizerischer Verein fur Volksgesundheit. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1492:La flatterie n'émane jamais des grandes âmes, elle est l'apanage
des petits esprits qui réussissent à se rapetisser encore pour mieux
entrer dans la sphère vitale de la personne autour de laquelle ils
gravitent. La flatterie sous-entend un intérêt. ~ Honor de Balzac,#NFDB
1493:L'art maghrébin atteignit à l'époque almohade une grandeur et une harmonie qu'il ne devait plus retrouver par la suite. Rigueur, sobriété, pudeur, telles étaient ses caractéristiques, qu'on a imputées à l'idéologie tumartienne et à la psychologie collective des Maghrébins. ~, #NFDB
1494:- « Les lois y [dans une monarchie] tiennent la place de toutes ces vertus, dont on n’a aucun besoin ; l’État vous en dispense: une action qui se fait sans bruit, y est en quelque façon sans conséquence. » Montesquieu, De l’Esprit des Lois, 1748, Book 2, Ch. 5, ~ Montesquieu, #NFDB
1495:Tétouan vous donne des habitudes. C'est une condition essentielle pour y vivre et dormir tranquille. En fait on a le choix entre les habitudes et l'angoisse. Lui, comme beaucoup d'autres, s'était plié à l'ordre et à la satisfaction des minuscules besoins. ~ Tahar Ben Jelloun, #NFDB
1496:Il y a des chances qui tombent dans les bras du premier venu qu'elles rencontrent, des putains de chance qui le laissent tomber aussitôt pour aller avec le suivant, et il y a des chances avisées, au contraire, qui guettent une personne et l'éprouvent lentement. ~ Erri De Luca, #NFDB
1497:« Je ne dis pas non, répondit Swann étonné. Ce que je reproche aux journaux, c’est de nous faire faire attention tous les jours à des choses insignifiantes tandis que nous lisons trois ou quatre fois dans notre vie les livres où il y a des choses essentielles. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
1498:Les grandes âmes apprécient la valeur des autres. Les grands cœurs émettent des jugements positifs. Ils illuminent et enrichissent la vie de ceux qui les entourent ; ils font jaillir des autres le meilleur, grâce aux rayons de soleil de leur appréciation. ~ Smith Wigglesworth, #NFDB
1499:Le vent se lève! . . . il faut tenter de vivre!
L'air immense ouvre et referme mon livre,
La vague en poudre ose jaillir des rocs!
Envolez-vous, pages tout éblouies!
Rompez, vagues! Rompez d'eaux réjouies
Ce toit tranquille où picoraient des focs! ~ Paul Val ry,#NFDB
1500:Mais même au XIX siècle elles étaient souvent obligées de se cacher; elles n'avaient pas même 'une chambre à elles', c'est-à-dire qu'elles ne jouissaient pas de cette indépendance matérielle qui est une des conditions nécessaires de la liberté intérieure. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
1916 Integral Yoga
1081 Poetry
284 Occultism
243 Philosophy
221 Fiction
180 Christianity
125 Yoga
109 Mysticism
90 Psychology
72 Islam
35 Science
33 Hinduism
27 Philsophy
26 Sufism
23 Kabbalah
21 Mythology
19 Theosophy
18 Education
16 Integral Theory
10 Buddhism
8 Cybernetics
6 Baha i Faith
3 Taoism
2 Zen
1 Thelema
1 Alchemy
1068 The Mother
922 Sri Aurobindo
632 Satprem
411 Nolini Kanta Gupta
131 William Wordsworth
124 Percy Bysshe Shelley
123 Aleister Crowley
113 H P Lovecraft
88 Carl Jung
75 Walt Whitman
72 Muhammad
67 James George Frazer
62 William Butler Yeats
62 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
57 Sri Ramakrishna
57 Plotinus
57 Friedrich Schiller
56 Friedrich Nietzsche
49 John Keats
44 Robert Browning
43 Rabindranath Tagore
36 Jorge Luis Borges
34 Saint Augustine of Hippo
33 Swami Krishnananda
32 Anonymous
31 Swami Vivekananda
31 Saint Teresa of Avila
29 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
28 Saint John of Climacus
27 Ralph Waldo Emerson
26 Lucretius
26 Franz Bardon
26 Aldous Huxley
26 A B Purani
24 Rudolf Steiner
24 Jalaluddin Rumi
23 Rabbi Moses Luzzatto
22 Vyasa
21 Edgar Allan Poe
17 Ibn Arabi
17 Hafiz
14 Rainer Maria Rilke
13 Ovid
13 Nirodbaran
13 Kabir
12 Plato
12 Li Bai
11 Paul Richard
11 George Van Vrekhem
10 Peter J Carroll
10 Hakim Sanai
9 Sri Ramana Maharshi
9 Omar Khayyam
9 Aristotle
8 Swami Sivananda Saraswati
8 Norbert Wiener
8 Joseph Campbell
8 Farid ud-Din Attar
7 Jordan Peterson
7 Henry David Thoreau
7 Baha u llah
7 Alice Bailey
6 Thubten Chodron
6 Bokar Rinpoche
6 Al-Ghazali
5 Ramprasad
5 Patanjali
5 Mansur al-Hallaj
4 Symeon the New Theologian
4 Saint Francis of Assisi
4 Hsuan Chueh of Yung Chia
3 Vidyapati
3 Solomon ibn Gabirol
3 Shankara
3 R Buckminster Fuller
3 Ravidas
3 Mirabai
3 Khwaja Abdullah Ansari
3 Ken Wilber
3 Jetsun Milarepa
3 Jayadeva
3 Dadu Dayal
3 Chuang Tzu
2 William Blake
2 Taigu Ryokan
2 Saint Therese of Lisieux
2 Saint John of the Cross
2 Saadi
2 Nachmanides
2 Mechthild of Magdeburg
2 Mahendranath Gupta
2 Lalla
2 Jorge Luis Borges
2 Jean Gebser
2 Jacopone da Todi
2 Italo Calvino
2 H. P. Lovecraft
2 Genpo Roshi
2 Dante Alighieri
2 Baba Sheikh Farid
2 Abu-Said Abil-Kheir
184 Record of Yoga
137 The Synthesis Of Yoga
131 Wordsworth - Poems
124 Shelley - Poems
113 Lovecraft - Poems
81 Prayers And Meditations
75 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 04
74 Agenda Vol 01
72 Whitman - Poems
72 Quran
70 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03
69 Letters On Yoga III
68 On Thoughts And Aphorisms
67 The Golden Bough
65 Magick Without Tears
62 Yeats - Poems
61 Agenda Vol 03
58 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01
58 Agenda Vol 08
57 Schiller - Poems
57 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 05
55 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
55 Questions And Answers 1957-1958
54 The Life Divine
54 Essays In Philosophy And Yoga
53 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 07
52 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02
50 Agenda Vol 10
49 Keats - Poems
47 Savitri
47 Questions And Answers 1956
47 Letters On Yoga IV
47 Agenda Vol 04
46 Thus Spoke Zarathustra
46 Letters On Yoga II
45 Questions And Answers 1950-1951
45 Liber ABA
44 Browning - Poems
43 Agenda Vol 07
41 Agenda Vol 13
40 Tagore - Poems
40 Agenda Vol 12
40 Agenda Vol 02
39 Agenda Vol 09
38 Questions And Answers 1953
38 Agenda Vol 06
36 Mysterium Coniunctionis
34 Agenda Vol 11
33 The Study and Practice of Yoga
32 Questions And Answers 1955
32 Questions And Answers 1929-1931
32 Agenda Vol 05
31 Collected Poems
30 Words Of Long Ago
30 Essays On The Gita
29 The Divine Comedy
28 The Ladder of Divine Ascent
28 Questions And Answers 1954
27 Emerson - Poems
26 The Perennial Philosophy
26 The Bible
26 Of The Nature Of Things
26 Evening Talks With Sri Aurobindo
25 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 08
24 The Practice of Psycho therapy
24 Letters On Yoga I
23 The Human Cycle
23 General Principles of Kabbalah
22 Vishnu Purana
22 The Future of Man
22 Labyrinths
22 City of God
21 Essays Divine And Human
20 Poe - Poems
19 The Way of Perfection
19 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 06
18 Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness
18 Plotinus - Complete Works Vol 01
18 Letters On Poetry And Art
18 Faust
17 On the Way to Supermanhood
17 On Education
17 Crowley - Poems
16 Words Of The Mother II
16 Plotinus - Complete Works Vol 04
15 The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
14 The Secret Of The Veda
14 The Phenomenon of Man
14 The Mother With Letters On The Mother
14 Rilke - Poems
14 Borges - Poems
14 Bhakti-Yoga
14 Anonymous - Poems
13 Twelve Years With Sri Aurobindo
13 The Practice of Magical Evocation
13 The Confessions of Saint Augustine
13 Some Answers From The Mother
13 Metamorphoses
13 Let Me Explain
13 Isha Upanishad
13 Initiation Into Hermetics
13 Hymn of the Universe
13 Aion
12 Theosophy
12 Talks
12 Rumi - Poems
12 Plotinus - Complete Works Vol 02
12 Li Bai - Poems
11 Vedic and Philological Studies
11 Twilight of the Idols
11 Raja-Yoga
11 Preparing for the Miraculous
11 Plotinus - Complete Works Vol 03
11 Hafiz - Poems
11 Goethe - Poems
11 Dark Night of the Soul
11 Arabi - Poems
10 The Interior Castle or The Mansions
10 Liber Null
10 Knowledge of the Higher Worlds
10 Kena and Other Upanishads
9 The Problems of Philosophy
9 Poetics
9 A Garden of Pomegranates - An Outline of the Qabalah
9 5.1.01 - Ilion
8 The Integral Yoga
8 The Hero with a Thousand Faces
8 Hymns to the Mystic Fire
8 Cybernetics
7 Walden
7 Songs of Kabir
7 Maps of Meaning
7 A Treatise on Cosmic Fire
6 Words Of The Mother III
6 The Secret Doctrine
6 The Red Book Liber Novus
6 The Blue Cliff Records
6 The Alchemy of Happiness
6 Tara - The Feminine Divine
6 How to Free Your Mind - Tara the Liberator
6 Amrita Gita
5 Patanjali Yoga Sutras
4 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
4 Beating the Cloth Drum Letters of Zen Master Hakuin
3 Writings In Bengali and Sanskrit
3 The Lotus Sutra
3 The Book of Certitude
3 Synergetics - Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking
3 Song of Myself
3 Sex Ecology Spirituality
3 Milarepa - Poems
3 Chuang Tzu - Poems
2 Words Of The Mother I
2 The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma
2 The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep
2 The Ever-Present Origin
2 The Essentials of Education
2 The Castle of Crossed Destinies
2 Symposium
2 Selected Fictions
2 Sefer Yetzirah The Book of Creation In Theory and Practice
2 Ryokan - Poems
2 Notes On The Way
2 God Exists
2 Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2E
0 0.01 - Introduction, #Agenda Vol 1, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Day after day, for seventeen years, She sat with us to tell us of her impossible odyssey. Ah, how well we now understand why She needed such an 'outlaw' and an incorrigible heretic like us to comprehend a little bit of her impossible odyssey into 'nothing.' And how well we now understand her infinite patience with us, despite all our revolts, which ultimately were only the revolts of the old species against itself. The final revolt. 'It is not a revolt against the British government which any one can easily do. It is, in fact, a revolt against the whole universal Nature!' Sri Aurobindo had proclaimed fifty years earlier. She listened to our grievances, we went away and we returned. We wanted no more of it and we wanted still more. It was infernal and sublime, impossible and the sole possibility in this old, asphyxiating world. It was the only place one could go to in this barbedwired, mechanized world, where Cincinnati is just as crowded and polluted as Hong Kong. The new species is the last free place in the general Prison. It is the last hope for the earth. How we listened to her little faltering voice that seemed to return from afar, afar, after having crossed spaces and seas of the mind to let its little drops of pure, crystalline words fall upon us, words that make you see. We listened to the future, we touched the other thing. It was incomprehensible and yet filled with another comprehension. It eluded us on all si des, and yet it was dazzlingly obvious. The 'other species' was really radically other, and yet it was vibrating within, absolutely recognizable, as if it were THAT we had been seeking from age to age, THAT we had been invoking through all our illuminations, one after another, in Thebes as in Eleusis as everywhere we have toiled and grieved in the skin of a man. It was for THAT we were here, for that supreme Possible in the skin of a man at last. And then her voice grew more and more frail, her breath began gasping as though She had to traverse greater and greater distances to meet us. She was so alone to beat against the walls of the old prison. Many claws were out all around. Oh, we would so quickly have cut ourself free from all this fiasco to fly away with Her into the world's future. She was so tiny, stooped over, as if crushed beneath the 'spiritual' burden that all the old surrounding species kept heaping upon her. They didn't believe, no. For them, She was ninety-five years old + so many days. Can someone become a new species all alone? They even grumbled at Her: they had had enough of this unbearable Ray that was bringing their sordid affairs into the daylight. The Ashram was slowly closing over Her. The old world wanted to make a new, golden little Church, nice and quiet. No, no one wanted TO
BECOME. To worship was so much easier. And then they bury you, solemnly, and the matter is settled - the case is closed: now, no one need bother any more except to print some photographic haloes for the pilgrims to this brisk little business. But they are mistaken. The real business will take place without them, the new species will fly up in their faces - it is already flying in the face of the earth, despite all its isms in black and white; it is exploding through all the pores of this battered old earth, which has had enough of shams - whether illusory little heavens or barbarous little machines.
It is the hour of the REAL Earth. It is the hour of the REAL man. We are all going there - if only we could know the path a little ...
00.01 - The Approach to Mysticism, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The knowledge that is obtained without the heart's instrumentation or co-operation is liable to be what the Gita describes as Asuric. First of all, from the point of view of knowledge itself, it would be, as I have already said, egocentric, a product and agent of one's limited and isolated self, easily put at the service of desire and passion. This knowledge, whether rationalistic or occult, is, as it were, hard and dry in its constitution, and oftener than not, negative and destructivewi thering and blasting in its career like the desert simoom.
There are mo des of knowledge that are occultand to that extent mystic and can be mastered by practices in which the heart has no share. But they have not the saving grace that comes by the touch of the Divine. They are not truly mystic the truly mystic belongs to the ultimate realities, the deepest and the highest,they, on the other hand, are transverse and tangential movements belonging to an intermediate region where light and obscurity are mixed up and even for the greater part the light is swallowed up in the obscurity or utilised by it.
00.01 - The Mother on Savitri, #Sweet Mother - Harmonies of Light, #unset, #Zen
Savitri alone is sufficient to make you climb to the highest peaks. If truly one knows how to meditate on Savitri, one will receive all the help one needs. For him who wishes to follow this path, it is a concrete help as though the Lord himself were taking you by the hand and leading you to the destined goal. And then, every question, however personal it may be, has its answer here, every difficulty finds its solution herein; indeed there is everything that is necessary for doing the Yoga.
*He has crammed the whole universe in a single book.* It is a marvellous work, magnificent and of an incomparable perfection.
--
In truth, the entire form of Savitri has descended "en masse" from the highest region and Sri Aurobindo with His genius only arranged the lines - in a superb and magnificent style. Sometimes entire lines were revealed and He has left them intact; He worked hard, untiringly, so that the inspiration could come from the highest possible summit. And what a work He has created! Yes, it is a true creation in itself. It is an unequalled work. Everything is there, and it is put in such a simple, such a clear form; verses perfectly harmonious, limpid and eternally true. My child, I have read so many things, but I have never come across anything which could be compared with Savitri. I have studied the best works in Greek, Latin, English and of course French literature, also in German and all the great creations of the West and the East, including the great epics; but I repeat it, I have not found anywhere anything comparable with Savitri. All these literary works seems to me empty, flat, hollow, without any deep reality - apart from a few rare exceptions, and these too represent only a small fraction of what Savitri is. What grandeur, what amplitude, what reality: it is something immortal and eternal He has created. I tell you once again there is nothing like in it the whole world. Even if one puts aside the vision of the reality, that is, the essential substance which is the heart of the inspiration, and considers only the lines in themselves, one will find them unique, of the highest classical kind. What He has created is something man cannot imagine. For, everything is there, everything.
It may then be said that Savitri is a revelation, it is a meditation, it is a quest of the Infinite, the Eternal. If it is read with this aspiration for Immortality, the reading itself will serve as a guide to Immortality. To read Savitri is indeed to practice Yoga, spiritual concentration; one can find there all that is needed to realise the Divine. Each step of Yoga is noted here, including the secret of all other Yogas. Surely, if one sincerely follows what is revealed here in each line one will reach finally the transformation of the Supramental Yoga. It is truly the infallible guide who never abandons you; its support is always there for him who wants to follow the path. Each verse of Savitri is like a revealed Mantra which surpasses all that man possessed by way of knowledge, and I repeat this, the words are expressed and arranged in such a way that the sonority of the rhythm leads you to the origin of sound, which is OM.
My child, yes, everything is there: mysticism, occultism, philosophy, the history of evolution, the history of man, of the gods, of creation, of Nature. How the universe was created, why, for what purpose, what destiny - all is there. You can find all the answers to all your questions there. Everything is explained, even the future of man and of the evolution, all that nobody yet knows. He has described it all in beautiful and clear words so that spiritual adventurers who wish to solve the mysteries of the world may understand it more easily. But this mystery is well hidden behind the words and lines and one must rise to the required level of true consciousness to discover it. All prophesies, all that is going to come is presented with the precise and wonderful clarity. Sri Aurobindo gives you here the key to find the Truth, to discover the Consciousness, to solve the problem of what the universe is. He has also indicated how to open the door of the Inconscience so that the light may penetrate there and transform it. He has shown the path, the way to liberate oneself from the ignorance and climb up to the superconscience; each stage, each plane of consciousness, how they can be scaled, how one can cross even the barrier of death and attain immortality. You will find the whole journey in detail, and as you go forward you can discover things altogether unknown to man. That is Savitri and much more yet. It is a real experience - reading Savitri. All the secrets that man possessed, He has revealed, - as well as all that awaits him in the future; all this is found in the depth of Savitri. But one must have the knowledge to discover it all, the experience of the planes of consciousness, the experience of the Supermind, even the experience of the conquest of Death. He has noted all the stages, marked each step in order to advance integrally in the integral Yoga.
All this is His own experience, and what is most surprising is that it is my own experience also. It is my sadhana which He has worked out. Each object, each event, each realisation, all the descriptions, even the colours are exactly what I saw and the words, phrases are also exactly what I heard. And all this before having read the book. I read Savitri many times afterwards, but earlier, when He was writing He used to read it to me. Every morning I used to hear Him read Savitri. During the night He would write and in the morning read it to me. And I observed something curious, that day after day the experiences He read out to me in the morning were those I had had the previous night, word by word. Yes, all the descriptions, the colours, the pictures I had seen, the words I had heard, all, all, I heard it all, put by Him into poetry, into miraculous poetry. Yes, they were exactly my experiences of the previous night which He read out to me the following morning. And it was not just one day by chance, but for days and days together. And every time I used to compare what He said with my previous experiences and they were always the same. I repeat, it was not that I had told Him my experiences and that He had noted them down afterwards, no, He knew already what I had seen. It is my experiences He has presented at length and they were His experiences also. It is, moreover, the picture of Our joint adventure into the unknown or rather into the Supermind.
These are experiences lived by Him, realities, supracosmic truths. He experienced all these as one experiences joy or sorrow, physically. He walked in the darkness of inconscience, even in the neighborhood of death, endured the sufferings of perdition, and emerged from the mud, the world-misery to brea the the sovereign plenitude and enter the supreme Ananda. He crossed all these realms, went through the consequences, suffered and endured physically what one cannot imagine. Nobody till today has suffered like Him. He accepted suffering to transform suffering into the joy of union with the Supreme. It is something unique and incomparable in the history of the world. It is something that has never happened before, He is the first to have traced the path in the Unknown, so that we may be able to walk with certitude towards the Supermind. He has made the work easy for us. Savitri is His whole Yoga of transformation, and this Yoga appears now for the first time in the earth-consciousness.
--
And men have the audacity to compare it with the work of Virgil or Homer and to find it inferior. They do not understand, they cannot understand. What do they know? Nothing at all. And it is useless to try to make them understand. Men will know what it is, but in a distant future. It is only the new race with a new consciousness which will be able to understand. I assure you there is nothing under the blue sky to compare with Savitri. It is the mystery of mysteries. It is a *super-epic,* it is super-literature, super-poetry, super-vision, it is a super-work even if one considers the number of lines He has written. No, these human words are not adequate to describe Savitri. Yes, one needs superlatives, hyperboles to describe it. It is a hyper-epic. No, words express nothing of what Savitri is, at least I do not find them. It is of immense value - spiritual value and all other values; it is eternal in its subject, and infinite in its appeal, miraculous in its mode and power of execution; it is a unique thing, the more you come into contact with it, the higher will you be uplifted. Ah, truly it is something! It is the most beautiful thing He has left for man, the highest possible. What is it? When will man know it? When is he going to lead a life of truth? When is he going to accept this in his life? This yet remains to be seen.
My child, every day you are going to read Savitri; read properly, with the right attitude, concentrating a little before opening the pages and trying to keep the mind as empty as possible, absolutely without a thought. The direct road is through the heart. I tell you, if you try to really concentrate with this aspiration you can light the flame, the psychic flame, the flame of purification in a very short time, perhaps in a few days. What you cannot do normally, you can do with the help of Savitri. Try and you will see how very different it is, how new, if you read with this attitude, with this something at the back of your consciousness; as though it were an offering to Sri Aurobindo. You know it is charged, fully charged with consciousness; as if Savitri were a being, a real guide. I tell you, whoever, wanting to practice Yoga, tries sincerely and feels the necessity for it, will be able to climb with the help of Savitri to the highest rung of the ladder of Yoga, will be able to find the secret that Savitri represents. And this without the help of a Guru. And he will be able to practice it anywhere. For him Savitri alone will be the guide, for all that he needs he will find Savitri. If he remains very quiet when before a difficulty, or when he does not know where to turn to go forward and how to overcome obstacles, for all these hesitations and incertitu des which overwhelm us at every moment, he will have the necessary indications, and the necessary concrete help. If he remains very calm, open, if he aspires sincerely, always he will be as if lead by the hand. If he has faith, the will to give himself and essential sincerity he will reach the final goal.
00.03 - Upanishadic Symbolism, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
There was an aspirant, a student who was seeking after knowledge. One day there appeared to him a white dog. Soon, other dogs followed and addressed their predecessor: "O Lord, sing to our Food, for we desire to eat." The white dog answered, "Come to me at dawn here in this very place." The aspirant waited. The dogs, like singer-priests, circled round in a ring. Then they sat and cried aloud; they cried out," Om We eat and Om we drink, may the gods bring here our food."
Now, before any explanation is attempted it is important to bear in mind that the Upanishads speak of things experiencednot merely thought, reasoned or argued and that these experiences belong to a world and consciousness other than that of the mind and the senses. One should naturally expect here a different language and mode of expression than that which is appropriate to mental and physical things. For example, the world of dreams was once supposed to be a sheer chaos, a mass of meaningless confusion; but now it is held to be quite otherwise. Psychological scientists have discovered a methodeven a very well-defined and strict methodin the madness of that domain. It is an ordered, organised, significant world; but its terminology has to be understood, its code deciphered. It is not a jargon, but a foreign language that must be learnt and mastered.
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And in response they descend and approach and enter into the aspiring human soulthis descent and revelation and near and concrete presence of Divinity, this Hanta is man's food, for by it his consciousness is nourished.
This interchange, or mutual giving, the High Covenant between the Gods and Men, to which the Gita too refers
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The Gods are the formations or particularisations of the Truth-consciousness, the multiple individualisations of the One spirit. The Pitris are the Divine Fathers, that is to say, souls that once laboured and realised here below, and now have passed beyond. They dwell in another world, not too far removed from the earth, and from there, with the force of their Realisation, lend a more concrete help and guidance to the destiny that is being worked out upon earth. They are forces and formations of consciousness in an intermediate region between Here and There (antarika), and serve to bring men and gods nearer to each other, inasmuch as they belong to both the categories, being a divinised humanity or a humanised divinity. Each fixation of the Truth-consciousness in an earthly mould is a thing of joy to the Pitris; it is the Svadh or food by which they live and grow, for it is the consolidation and also the resultant of their own realisation. The achievements of the sons are more easily and securely reared and grounded upon those of the forefa thers, whose formative powers we have to invoke, so that we may pass on to the realisation, the firm embodiment of higher and greater destinies.
III. The Path of the Fathers and the Path of the Gods
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And they who are thus lifted up into the Higher Orbit are freed from the bondage to the cycle of rebirth. They enjoy the supreme Liberation that is of the Spirit; and even when they descend into the Inferior Path, it is to work out as free agents, as vehicles of the Divine, a special purpose, to bring down something of the substance and nature of the Solar reality into the lower world, enlighten and elevate the lower, as far as it is allowed, into the higher.
IV. The Triple Agni
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Agni in the physical consciousness is calledghapati, for the body is the house in which the soul is lodged and he is its keeper, guardian and lord. The fire in the mental consciousness is called daki; for it is that which gives discernment, the power to discriminate between the truth and the falsehood, it is that which by the pressure of its heat and light cleaves the wrong away from the right. And the fire in the life-force is called havanya; for pra is not only the plane of hunger and desire, but also of power and dynamism, it is that which calls forth forces, brings them into' play and it is that which is to be invoked for the progression of the Sacrifice, for an onward march on the spiritual path.
Of the three fires one is the upholderhe who gives the firm foundation, the stable house where the Sacrifice is performed and Truth realised; the second is the Knower, often called in the Veda jtaved, who gui des and directs; and the third the Doer, the effective Power, the driving Energyvaivnara.
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The Science of the Five Agnis (Fires), as propounded by Pravahan, explains and illustrates the process of the birth of the body, the passage of the soul into earth existence. It describes the advent of the child, the building of the physical form of the human being. The process is conceived of as a sacrifice, the usual symbol with the Vedic Rishis for the expression of their vision and perception of universal processes of Nature, physical and psychological. Here, the child IS said to be the final fruit of the sacrifice, the different stages in the process being: (i) Soma, (ii) Rain, (iii) Food, (iv) Semen, (v) Child. Soma means Rasaphysically the principle of water, psychologically the 'principle of delightand symbolises and constitutes the very soul and substance of life. Now it is said that these five principles the fundamental and constituent elementsare born out of the sacrifice, through the oblation or offering to the five Agnis. The first Agni is Heaven or the Sky-God, and by offering to it one's faith and one's ardent desire, one calls into manifestation Soma or Rasa or Water, the basic principle of life. This water is next offered to the second Agni, the Rain-God, who sends down Rain. Rain, again, is offered to the third Agni, the Earth, who brings forth Food. Food is, in its turn, offered to the fourth Agni, the Father or Male, who elaborates in himself the generating fluid.
Finally, this fluid is offered to the fifth Agni, the Mother or the Female, who delivers the Child.
The biological process, described in what may seem to be crude and mediaeval terms, really reflects or echoes a more subtle and psychological process. The images used form perhaps part of the current popular notion about the matter, but the esoteric sense goes beyond the outer symbols. The sky seems to be the far and tenuous region where the soul rests and awaits its next birthit is the region of Soma, the own Home of Bliss and Immortality. Now when the time or call comes, the soul stirs and journeys down that is the Rain. Next, it enters the earth atmosphere and clothes itself with the earth consciousness. Then it waits and calls for the formation of the material body, first by the contri bution of the father and then by that of the mother; when these two unite and the material body is formed, the soul incarnates.
Apart from the question whether the biological phenomenon described is really a symbol and a cloak for another order of reality, and even taking it at its face value, what is to be noted here is the idea of a cosmic cycle, and a cosmic cycle that proceeds through the principle of sacrifice. If it is asked what there is wonderful or particularly spiritual in this rather naf description of a very commonplace happening that gives it an honoured place in the Upanishads, the answer is that it is wonderful to see how the Upanishadic Rishi takes from an event its local, temporal and personal colour and incorporates it in a global movement, a cosmic cycle, as a limb of the Universal Brahman. The Upanishads contain passages which a puritanical mentality may perhaps describe as 'pornographic'; these have in fact been put by some on the Index expurgatorius. But the ancients saw these matters with other eyes and through another consciousness.
We have, in modern times, a movement towards a more conscious and courageous, knowledge of things that were taboo to puritan ages. Not to shut one's eyes to the lower, darker and hidden strands of our nature, but to bring them out into the light of day and to face them is the best way of dealing with such elements, which otherwise, if they are repressed, exert an unhealthy influence on the mind and nature. The Upanishadic view runs on the same lines, but, with the unveiling and the natural and not merely naturalisticdelineation of these under-worlds (concerning sex and food), it endows them with a perspective sub specie aeternitatis. The sexual function, for example, is easily equated to the double movement of ascent and descent that is secreted in nature, or to the combined action of Purusha and Prakriti in the cosmic Play, or again to the hidden fount of Delight that holds and moves the universe. In this view there is nothing merely secular and profane, but all is woven into the cosmic spiritual whole; and man is taught to consider and to mould all his movementsof soul and mind and bodyin the light and rhythm of that integral Reality.11
The central secret of the transfigured consciousness lies, as we have already indicated, in the mystic rite or law of Sacrifice. It is the one basic, fundamental, universal Law that upholds and explains the cosmic movement, conformity to which brings to the thrice-bound human being release and freedom. Sacrifice consists essentially of two elements or processes: (i) The offering or self giving of the lower reality to the higher, and, as a consequence, an answering movement of (ii) the descent of the higher into the lower. The lower offered to the higher means the lower sublimated and integrated into the higher; and the descent of the higher into the lower means the incarnation of the former and the fulfilment of the latter. The Gita elaborates the same idea when it says that by Sacrifice men increase the gods and the gods increase men and by so increasing each other they attain the supreme Good. Nothing is, nothing is done, for its own sake, for an egocentric satisfaction; all, even movements relating to food and to sex should be dedicated to the Cosmic BeingVisva Purusha and that alone received which comes from Him.
VII. The Cosmic and the Transcendental
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Elsewhere the Upanishad describes more graphically this truth and the experience of it. It is said there that the sun has fivewe note the familiar fivemovements of rising and setting: (i) from East to West, (ii) from South to North, (iii) from West to East, (iv) from North to South and (v) from abovefrom the Zenithdownward. These are the five normal and apparent movements. But there is a sixth one; rather it is not a movement, but a status, where the sun neither rises nor sets, but is always visible fixed in the same position.
Some Western and Westernised scholars have tried to show that the phenomenon described here is an exclusively natural phenomenon, actually visible in the polar region where the sun never sets for six months and moves in a circle whose plane is parallel to the plane of the horizon on the summer solstice and is gradually inclined as the sun regresses towards the equinox (on which day just half the solar disc is visible above the horizon). The sun may be said there to move in the direction East-South-West-North and again East. Indeed the Upanishad mentions the positions of the sun in that order and gives a character to each successive station. The Ray from the East is red, symbolising the Rik, the Southern Ray is white, symbolising the Yajur, the Western Ray is black symbolising the Atharva. The natural phenomenon, however, might have been or might not have been before the mind's eye of the Rishi, but the symbolism, the esotericism of it is clear enough in the way the Rishi speaks of it. Also, apart from the first four movements (which it is already sufficiently difficult to identify completely with what is visible), the fifth movement, as a separate descending movement from above appears to be a foreign element in the context. And although, with regard to the sixth movement or status, the sun is visible as such exactly from the point of the North Pole for a while, the ring of the Rishi's utterance is unmistakably spiritual, it cannot but refer to a fact of inner consciousness that is at least what the physical fact conveys to the Rishi and what he seeks to convey and express primarily.
Now this is what is sought to be conveyed and expressed. The five movements of the sun here also are nothing but the five smas and they refer to the cycle of the Cosmic or Universal Brahman. The sixth status where all movements cease, where there is no rising and setting, no ebb and flow, no waxing and waning, where there is the immutable, the ever-same unity, is very evidently the Transcendental Brahman. It is That to which the Vedic Rishi refers when he prays for a constant and fixed vision of the eternal Sunjyok ca sryam drie.
It would be interesting to know what the five ranges or levels or movements of consciousness exactly are that make up the Universal Brahman described in this passage. It is the mystic knowledge, the Upanishad says, of the secret delight in thingsmadhuvidy. The five ranges are the five fundamental principles of delightimmortalities, the Veda would say that form the inner core of the pyramid of creation. They form a rising tier and are ruled respectively by the godsAgni, Indra, Varuna, Soma and Brahmawith their emanations and instrumental personalities the Vasus, the Rudras, the Adityas, the Maruts and the Sadhyas. We suggest that these refer to the five well-known levels of being, the mo des or nodi of consciousness or something very much like them. The Upanishad speaks elsewhere of the five sheaths. The six Chakras of Tantric system lie in the same line. The first and the basic mode is the physical and the ascent from the physical: Agni and the Vasus are always intimately connected with the earth and -the earth-principles (it can be compared with the Muladhara of the Tantras). Next, second in the line of ascent is the Vital, the centre of power and dynamism of which the Rudras are the deities and Indra the presiding God (cf. Swadhishthana of the Tantras the navel centre). Indra, in the Vedas, has two aspects, one of knowledge and vision and the other of dynamic force and drive. In the first aspect he is more often considered as the Lord of the Mind, of the Luminous Mind. In the present passage, Indra is taken in his second aspect and instead of the Maruts with whom he is usually invoked has the Rudras as his agents and associates.
The third in the line of ascension is the region of Varuna and the Adityas, that is to say, of the large Mind and its lightsperhaps it can be connected with Tantric Ajnachakra. The fourth is the domain of Soma and the Marutsthis seems to be the inner heart, the fount of delight and keen and sweeping aspirations the Anahata of the Tantras. The fifth is the region of the crown of the head, the domain of Brahma and the Sadhyas: it is the Overmind status from where comes the descending inflatus, the creative Maya of Brahma. And when you go beyond, you pass into the ultimate status of the Sun, the reality absolute, the Transcendent which is in describable, unseizable, indeterminate, indeterminable, incommensurable; and once there, one never returns, neverna ca punarvartate na ca punarvartate.
VIII. How Many Gods?
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In Yajnavalkya's enumeration, however, it is to be noted, first of all, that he stresses on the number three. The principle of triplicity is of very wide application: it permeates all fields of consciousness and is evidently based upon a fundamental fact of reality. It seems to embody a truth of synthesis and comprehension, points to the order and harmony that reigns in the cosmos, the spheric music. The metaphysical, that is to say, the original principles that constitute existence are the well-known triplets: (i) the superior: Sat, Chit, Ananda; and (ii) the inferior: Body, Life and Mindthis being a reflection or translation or concretisation of the former. We can see also here how the dual principle comes in, the twin godhead or the two gods to which Yajnavalkya refers. The same principle is found in the conception of Ardhanarishwara, Male and Female, Purusha-Prakriti. The Upanishad says 14 yet again that the One original Purusha was not pleased at being alone, so for a companion he created out of himself the original Female. The dual principle signifies creation, the manifesting activity of the Reality. But what is this one and a half to which Yajnavalkya refers? It simply means that the other created out of the one is not a wholly separate, independent entity: it is not an integer by itself, as in the Manichean system, but that it is a portion, a fraction of the One. And in the end, in the ultimate analysis, or rather synthesis, there is but one single undivided and indivisible unity. The thousands and hundreds, very often mentioned also in the Rig Veda, are not simply multiplications of the One, a graphic description of its many-sidedness; it indicates also the absolute fullness, the complete completeness (prasya pram) of the Reality. It inclu des and comprehends all and is a rounded totality, a full circle. The hundred-gated and the thousand-pillared cities of which the ancient Rishis chanted are formations and embodiments of consciousness human and divine, are realities whole and entire englobing all the layers and gra des of consciousness.
Besi des this metaphysics there is also an occult aspect in numerology of which Pythagoras was a well-known adept and in which the Vedic Rishis too seem to take special delight. The multiplication of numbers represents in a general way the principle of emanation. The One has divided and subdivided itself, but not in a haphazard way: it is not like the chaotic pulverisation of a piece of stone by hammer-blows. The process of division and subdivision follows a pattern almost as neat and methodical as a genealogical tree. That is to say, the emanations form a hierarchy. At the top, the apex of the pyramid, stands the one supreme Godhead. That Godhead is biune in respect of manifestation the Divine and his creative Power. This two-in-one reality may be considered, according to one view of creation, as dividing into three forms or aspects the well-known Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra of Hindu mythology. These may be termed the first or primary emanations.
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Man, however, is an epitome of creation. He embraces and incarnates the entire gamut of consciousness and comprises in him all beings from the highest Divinity to the lowest jinn or elf. And yet each human being in his true personality is a lineal descendant of one or other typal aspect or original Personality of the one supreme Reality; and his individual character is all the more pronounced and well-defined the more organised and developed is the being. The psychic being in man is thus a direct descent, an immediate emanation along a definite line of devolution of the supreme consciousness. We may now understand and explain easily why one chooses a particular Ishta, an ideal god, what is the drive that pushes one to become a worshipper of Siva or Vishnu or any other deity. It is not any rational understanding, a weighing of pros and cons and then a resultant conclusion that leads one to choose a path of religion or spirituality. It is the soul's natural call to the God, the type of being and consciousness of which it is a spark, from which it has descended, it is the secret affinity the spiritual blood-relation as it were that determines the choice and adherence. And it is this that we name Faith. And the exclusiveness and violence and bitterness which attend such adherence and which go "by the "name of partisanship, sectarianism, fanaticism etc., a;e a deformation in the ignorance on the physico-vital plane of the secret loyalty to one's source and origin. Of course, the pattern or law is not so simple and rigid, but it gives a token or typal pattern. For it must not be forgotten that the supreme source or the original is one and indivisible and in the highest integration consciousness is global and not exclusive. And the human being that attains such a status is not bound or wholly limited to one particular formation: its personality is based on the truth of impersonality. And yet the two can go together: an individual can be impersonal in consciousness and yet personal in becoming and true to type.
The number of gods depends on the level of consciousness on which we stand. On this material plane there are as many gods as there are bodies or individual forms (adhar). And on the supreme height there is only one God without a second. In between there are gradations of types and sub-types whose number and function vary according to the aspect of consciousness that reveals itself.
0.00a - Introduction, #A Garden of Pomegranates - An Outline of the Qabalah, #Israel Regardie, #Occultism
The last chapter of A Garden deals with the Way of Return. It used almost entirely Crowley's concept of the Path as described in his superb essay "One Star in Sight." In addition to this, I borrowed extensively from Lawrence's Apropos. Somehow, they all fitted together very nicely. In time, all these variegated notes were incorporated into the text without acknowledgment, an oversight which I now feel sure would be forgiven, since I was only twenty-four at the time.
Some modern Nature-worshippers and members of the newly-washed and redeemed witch-cult have complimented me on this closing chapter which I entitled 'The Ladder." I am pleased about this. For a very long time I was not at all familiar with the topic of witchcraft. I had avoided it entirely, not being attracted to its literature in any way. In fact, I only became slightly conversant with its theme and literature just a few years ago, after reading "The Anatomy of Eve" written by Dr. Leopold Stein, a Jungian analyst. In the middle of his study of four cases, he included a most informative chapter on the subject. This served to stimulate me to wider reading in that area.
000 - Humans in Universe, #Synergetics - Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking, #R Buckminster Fuller, #Science
dollars annually to buy ever more effective weapons of potential destruction. The
great political and industrial power structures have all become supranational
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These new materials made it possible to design and build engine-powered all-metal
airplanes (structural vessels), which could pull themselves angularly above the
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more heavily laden airplanes were designed, which could climb ever more steeply
and faster. Finally humans developed so much strength per weight of materials
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revolution by design science? Less than one percent of humanity now knows that
the option exists; 99 percent of humanity cannot understand the mathematical
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included in this cosmic design as local Universe information-gatherers and local
problem-solvers in support of the integrity of the eternal, 100-percent-efficient, self-
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into supreme power within a decade, humanity will exercise its option of a design
revolution and will enter a new and-lasting epoch of physical success for all. If not,
0.00 - INTRODUCTION, #The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, #Sri Ramakrishna, #Hinduism
Ramkumar could hardly understand the import of his young brother's reply. He described in bright colours the happy and easy life of scholars in Calcutta society. But Gadadhar intuitively felt that the scholars, to use one of his own vivid illustrations, were like so many vultures, soaring high on the wings of their uninspired intellect, with their eyes fixed on the charnel-pit of greed and lust. So he stood firm and Ramkumar had to give way.
--- KALI TEMPLE AT DAKSHINESWAR
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The main temple is dedicated to Kali, the Divine Mother, here worshipped as Bhavatarini, the Saviour of the Universe. The floor of this temple also is paved with marble. The basalt image of the Mother, dressed in gorgeous gold brocade, stands on a white marble image of the prostrate body of Her Divine Consort, Siva, the symbol of the Absolute. On the feet of the God dess are, among other ornaments, anklets of gold. Her arms are decked with jewelled ornaments of gold. She wears necklaces of gold and pearls, a golden garland of human heads, and a girdle of human arms. She wears a golden crown, golden ear-rings, and a golden nose-ring with a pearl-drop. She has four arms. The lower left hand holds a severed human head and the upper grips a blood-stained sabre. One right hand offers boons to Her children; the other allays their fear. The majesty of Her posture can hardly be described. It combines the terror of destruction with the reassurance of motherly tenderness. For She is the Cosmic Power, the totality of the universe, a glorious harmony of the pairs of opposites. She deals out death, as She creates and preserves. She has three eyes, the third being the symbol of Divine Wisdom; they strike dismay into the wicked, yet pour out affection for Her devotees.
The whole symbolic world is represented in the temple garden — the Trinity of the Nature Mother (Kali), the Absolute (Siva), and Love (Radhakanta), the Arch spanning heaven and earth. The terrific God dess of the Tantra, the soul-enthralling Flute-Player of the Bhagavata, and the Self-absorbed Absolute of the Vedas live together, creating the greatest synthesis of religions. All aspects of Reality are represented there. But of this divine household, Kali is the pivot, the sovereign Mistress. She is Prakriti, the Procreatrix, Nature, the destroyer, the Creator. Nay, She is something greater and deeper still for those who have eyes to see. She is the Universal Mother, "my Mother" as Ramakrishna would say, the All-powerful, who reveals Herself to Her children under different aspects and Divine Incarnations, the Visible God, who leads the elect to the Invisible Reality; and if it so pleases Her, She takes away the last trace of ego from created beings and merges it in the consciousness of the Absolute, the undifferentiated God. Through Her grace "the finite ego loses itself in the illimitable Ego — Atman — Brahman". (Romain Holland, Prophets of the New India, p. 11.)
Rani Rasmani spent a fortune for the construction of the temple garden and another fortune for its dedication ceremony, which took place on May 31, 1855.
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At this time there came to Dakshineswar a youth of sixteen, destined to play an important role in Sri Ramakrishna's life. Hriday, a distant nephew2 of Sri Ramakrishna, hailed from Sihore, a village not far from Kamarpukur, and had been his boyhood friend. Clever, exceptionally energetic, and endowed with great presence of mind, he moved, as will be seen later, like a shadow about his uncle and was always ready to help him, even at the sacrifice of his personal comfort. He was destined to be a mute witness of many of the spiritual experiences of Sri Ramakrishna and the caretaker of his body during the stormy days of his spiritual practice. Hriday came to Dakshineswar in search of a job, and Sri Ramakrishna was glad to see him.
Unable to resist the persuasion of Mathur Babu, Sri Ramakrishna at last entered the temple service, on condition that Hriday should be asked to assist him. His first duty was to dress and decorate the image of Kali.
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Born in an orthodox brahmin family, Sri Ramakrishna knew the formalities of worship, its rites and rituals. The innumerable gods and god desses of the Hindu religion are the human aspects of the in describable and incomprehensible Spirit, as conceived by the finite human mind. They understand and appreciate human love and emotion, help men to realize their secular and spiritual ideals, and ultimately enable men to attain liberation from the miseries of phenomenal life. The Source of light, intelligence, wisdom, and strength is the One alone from whom comes the fulfilment of desire. Yet, as long as a man is bound by his human limitations, he cannot but worship God through human forms. He must use human symbols. Therefore Hinduism asks the devotees to look on God as the ideal father, the ideal mother, the ideal husband, the ideal son, or the ideal friend. But the name ultimately leads to the Nameless, the form to the Formless, the word to the Silence, the emotion to the serene realization of Peace in Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute. The gods gradually merge in the one God. But until that realization is achieved, the devotee cannot dissociate human factors from his worship. Therefore the Deity is bathed and clothed and decked with ornaments. He is fed and put to sleep. He is propitiated with hymns, songs, and prayers. And there are appropriate rites connected with all these functions. For instance, to secure for himself external purity, the priest bathes himself in holy water and puts on a holy cloth. He purifies the mind and the sense-organs by appropriate meditations. He fortifies the place of worship against evil forces by drawing around it circles of fire and water. He awakens the different spiritual centres of the body and invokes the Supreme Spirit in his heart. Then he transfers the Supreme Spirit to the image before him and worships the image, regarding it no longer as clay or stone, but as the embodiment of Spirit, throbbing with Life and Consciousness. After the worship the Supreme Spirit is recalled from the image to Its true sanctuary, the heart of the priest. The real devotee knows the absurdity of worshipping the Transcendental Reality with material articles — clothing That which perva des the whole universe and the beyond, putting on a pe destal That which cannot be limited by space, feeding That which is disembodied and incorporeal, singing before That whose glory the music of the spheres tries vainly to proclaim. But through these rites the devotee aspires to go ultimately beyond rites and rituals, forms and names, words and praise, and to realize God as the All-pervading Consciousness.
Hindu priests are thoroughly acquainted with the rites of worship, but few of them are aware of their underlying significance. They move their hands and limbs mechanically, in obedience to the letter of the scriptures, and repeat the holy mantras like parrots. But from the very beginning the inner meaning of these rites was revealed to Sri Ramakrishna. As he sat facing the image, a strange transformation came over his mind. While going through the prescribed ceremonies, he would actually find himself encircled by a wall of fire protecting him and the place of worship from unspiritual vibrations, or he would feel the rising of the mystic Kundalini through the different centres of the body. The glow on his face, his deep absorption, and the intense atmosphere of the temple impressed everyone who saw him worship the Deity.
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And, indeed, he soon discovered what a strange God dess he had chosen to serve. He became gradually enmeshed in the web of Her all-pervading presence. To the ignorant She is, to be sure, the image of destruction; but he found in Her the benign, all-loving Mother. Her neck is encircled with a garland of heads, and Her waist with a girdle of human arms, and two of Her hands hold weapons of death, and Her eyes dart a glance of fire; but, strangely enough, Ramakrishna felt in Her breath the soothing touch of tender love and saw in Her the Seed of Immortality. She stands on the bosom of Her Consort, Siva; it is because She is the Sakti, the Power, inseparable from the Absolute. She is surrounded by jackals and other unholy creatures, the denizens of the cremation ground. But is not the Ultimate Reality above holiness and unholiness? She appears to be reeling under the spell of wine. But who would create this mad world unless under the influence of a divine drunkenness? She is the highest symbol of all the forces of nature, the synthesis of their antinomies, the Ultimate Divine in the form of woman. She now became to Sri Ramakrishna the only Reality, and the world became an unsubstantial shadow. Into Her worship he poured his soul. Before him She stood as the transparent portal to the shrine of Ineffable Reality.
The worship in the temple intensified Sri Ramakrishna's yearning for a living vision of the Mother of the Universe. He began to spend in meditation the time not actually employed in the temple service; and for this purpose he selected an extremely solitary place. A deep jungle, thick with underbrush and prickly plants, lay to the north of the temples. Used at one time as a burial ground, it was shunned by people even during the day-time for fear of ghosts. There Sri Ramakrishna began to spend the whole night in meditation, returning to his room only in the morning with eyes swollen as though from much weeping. While meditating, he would lay aside his cloth and his brahminical thread. Explaining this strange conduct, he once said to Hriday: "Don't you know that when one thinks of God one should be freed from all ties? From our very birth we have the eight fetters of hatred, shame, lineage, pride of good conduct, fear, secretiveness, caste, and grief. The sacred thread reminds me that I am a brahmin and therefore superior to all. When calling on the Mother one has to set aside all such ideas." Hriday thought his uncle was becoming insane.
As his love for God deepened, he began either to forget or to drop the formalities of worship. Sitting before the image, he would spend hours singing the devotional songs of great devotees of the Mother, such as Kamalakanta and Ramprasad. Those rhapsodical songs, describing the direct vision of God, only intensified Sri Ramakrishna's longing. He felt the pangs of a child separated from its mother. Sometimes, in agony, he would rub his face against the ground and weep so bitterly that people, thinking he had lost his earthly mother, would sympathize with him in his grief. Sometimes, in moments of scepticism, he would cry: "Art Thou true, Mother, or is it all fiction — mere poetry without any reality? If Thou dost exist, why do I not see Thee? Is religion a mere fantasy and art Thou only a figment of man's imagination?" Sometimes he would sit on the prayer carpet for two hours like an inert object. He began to behave in an abnormal manner
, most of the time unconscious of the world. He almost gave up food; and sleep left him altogether.
But he did not have to wait very long. He has thus described his first vision of the Mother: "I felt as if my heart were being squeezed like a wet towel. I was overpowered with a great restlessness and a fear that it might not be my lot to realize Her in this life. I could not bear the separation from Her any longer. Life seemed to be not worth living. Suddenly my glance fell on the sword that was kept in the Mother's temple. I determined to put an end to my life. When I jumped up like a madman and seized it, suddenly the blessed Mother revealed Herself. The buildings with their different parts, the temple, and everything else vanished from my sight, leaving no trace whatsoever, and in their stead I saw a limitless, infinite, effulgent Ocean of Consciousness. As far as the eye could see, the shining billows were madly rushing at me from all si des with a terrific noise, to swallow me up! I was panting for breath. I was caught in the rush
and collapsed, unconscious. What was happening in the outside world I did not know; but within me there was a steady flow of undiluted bliss, altogether new, and I felt the presence of the Divine Mother." On his lips when he regained consciousness of the world was the word "Mother".
--
It is said that samadhi, or trance, no more than opens the portal of the spiritual realm. Sri Ramakrishna felt an unquenchable desire to enjoy God in various ways. For his meditation he built a place in the northern wooded section of the temple garden. With Hriday's help he planted there five sacred trees. The spot, known as the Panchavati, became the scene of many of his visions.
As his spiritual mood deepened he more and more felt himself to be a child of the Divine Mother. He learnt to surrender himself completely to Her will and let Her direct him.
--
Sri Ramakrishna has described the incident: "The Divine Mother revealed to me in the Kali temple that it was She who had become everything. She showed me that everything was full of Consciousness. The image was Consciousness, the altar was Consciousness, the water-vessels were Consciousness, the door-sill was Consciousness, the marble floor was Consciousness — all was Consciousness. I found everything inside the room soaked, as it were, in Bliss — the Bliss of God. I saw a wicked man in front of the Kali temple; but in him also I saw the power of the Divine Mother vibrating. That was why I fed a cat with the food that was to be offered to the Divine Mother. I clearly perceived that all this was the Divine Mother — even the cat. The manager of the temple garden wrote to Mathur Babu saying that I was feeding the cat with the offering intended for the Divine Mother. But Mathur Babu had insight into the state of my mind. He wrote back to the manager: 'Let him do whatever he likes. You must not say anything to him.'"
One of the painful ailments from which Sri Ramakrishna suffered at this time was a burning sensation in his body, and he was cured by a strange vision. During worship in the temple, following the scriptural injunctions, he would imagine the presence of the "sinner" in himself and the destruction of this "sinner". One day he was meditating in the Panchavati, when he saw come out of him a red-eyed man of black complexion, reeling like a drunkard. Soon there emerged from him another person, of serene countenance, wearing the ochre cloth of a sannyasi and carrying in his hand a trident. The second person attacked the first and killed him with the trident. Thereafter Sri Ramakrishna was free of his pain.
About this time he began to worship God by assuming the attitude of a servant toward his master. He imitated the mood of Hanuman, the monkey chieftain of the Ramayana, the ideal servant of Rama and traditional model for this self-effacing form of devotion. When he meditated on Hanuman his movements and his way of life began to resemble those of a monkey. His eyes became restless. He lived on fruits and roots. With his cloth tied around his waist, a portion of it hanging in the form of a tail, he jumped from place to place instead of walking. And after a short while he was blessed with a vision of Sita, the divine consort of Rama, who entered his body and disappeared there with the words, "I bequeath to you my smile."
--
One day Haladhari upset Sri Ramakrishna with the statement that God is incomprehensible to the human mind. Sri Ramakrishna has described the great moment of doubt when he wondered whether his visions had really misled him: "With sobs I prayed to the Mother, 'Canst Thou have the heart to deceive me like this because I am a fool?' A stream of tears flowed from my eyes. Shortly afterwards I saw a volume of mist rising from the floor and filling the space before me. In the midst of it there appeared a face with flowing beard, calm, highly expressive, and fair. Fixing its gaze steadily upon me, it said solemnly, 'Remain in bhavamukha, on the threshold of relative consciousness.' This it repeated three times and then it gently disappeared in the mist, which itself dissolved. This vision reassured me."
A garbled report of Sri Ramakrishna's failing health, indifference to worldly life, and various abnormal activities reached Kamarpukur and filled the heart of his poor mother with anguish. At her repeated request he returned to his village for a change of air. But his boyhood friends did not interest him any more. A divine fever was consuming him. He spent a great part of the day and night in one of the cremation grounds, in meditation. The place reminded him of the impermanence of the human body, of human hopes and achievements. It also reminded him of Kali, the God dess of destruction.
--- MARRIAGE AND AFTER
--
Rani Rasmani, the foundress of the temple garden, passed away in 1861. After her death her son-in-law Mathur became the sole executor of the estate. He placed himself and his resources at the disposal of Sri Ramakrishna and began to look after his physical comfort. Sri Ramakrishna later spoke of him as one of his five "suppliers of stores" appointed by the Divine Mother. Whenever a desire arose in his mind, Mathur fulfilled it without hesitation.
--- THE BRAHMANI
--
Sri Ramakrishna welcomed the visitor with great respect, described to her his experiences and visions, and told her of people's belief that these were symptoms of madness. She listened to him attentively and said: "My son, everyone in this world is mad. Some are mad for money, some for creature comforts, some for name and fame; and you are mad for God." She assured him that he was passing through the almost unknown spiritual experience described in the scriptures as mahabhava, the most exalted rapture of divine love. She told him that this extreme exaltation had been described as manifesting itself through nineteen physical symptoms, including the shedding of tears, a tremor of the body, horripilation, perspiration, and a burning sensation. The Bhakti scriptures, she declared, had recorded only two instances of the experience, namely, those of Sri Radha and Sri Chaitanya.
Very soon a tender relationship sprang up between Sri Ramakrishna and the Brahmani, she looking upon him as the Baby Krishna, and he upon her as mother. Day after day she watched his ecstasy during the kirtan and meditation, his samadhi, his mad yearning; and she recognized in him a power to transmit spirituality to others. She came to the conclusion that such things were not possible for an ordinary devotee, not even for a highly developed soul. Only an Incarnation of God was capable of such spiritual manifestations. She proclaimed openly that Sri Ramakrishna, like Sri Chaitanya, was an Incarnation of God.
--
When, a few days later, Pundit Gauri arrived, another meeting was held, and he agreed with the view of the Brahmani and Vaishnavcharan. To Sri Ramakrishna's remark that Vaishnavcharan had declared him to be an Avatar, Gauri replied: "Is that all he has to say about you? Then he has said very little. I am fully convinced that you are that Mine of Spiritual Power, only a small fraction of which descends on earth, from time to time, in the form of an Incarnation."
"Ah!" said Sri Ramakrishna with a smile, "you seem to have quite outbid Vaishnavcharan in this matter. What have you found in me that makes you entertain such an idea?"
--
But the most remarkable experience during this period was the awakening of the Kundalini Sakti, the "Serpent Power". He actually saw the Power, at first lying asleep at the bottom of the spinal column, then waking up and ascending along the mystic Sushumna canal and through its six centres, or lotuses, to the Sahasrara, the thousand-petalled lotus in the top of the head. He further saw that as the Kundalini went upward the different lotuses bloomed. And this phenomenon was accompanied by visions and trances. Later on he described to his disciples and devotees the various movements of the Kundalini: the fishlike, birdlike, monkeylike, and so on. The awaken- ing of the Kundalini is the beginning of spiritual consciousness, and its union with Siva in the Sahasrara, ending in samadhi, is the consummation of the Tantrik disciplines.
About this time it was revealed to him that in a short while many devotees would seek his guidance.
--
There are three kinds of formal devotion: tamasic, rajasic, and sattvic. If a person, while showing devotion, to God, is actuated by malevolence, arrogance, jealousy, or anger, then his devotion is tamasic, since it is influenced by tamas, the quality of inertia. If he worships God from a desire for fame or wealth, or from any other worldly ambition, then his devotion is rajasic, since it is influenced by rajas, the quality of activity. But if a person loves God without any thought of material gain, if he performs his duties to please God alone and maintains toward all created beings the attitude of friendship, then his devotion is called sattvic, since it is influenced by sattva, the quality of harmony. But the highest devotion transcends the three gunas, or qualities, being a spontaneous, uninterrupted inclination of the mind toward God, the Inner Soul of all beings; and it wells up in the heart of a true devotee as soon as he hears the name of God or mention of God's attributes. A devotee possessed of this love would not accept the happiness of heaven if it were offered him. His one desire is to love God under all conditions — in pleasure and pain, life and death, honour and dishonour, prosperity and adversity.
There are two stages of bhakti. The first is known as vaidhi-bhakti, or love of God qualified by scriptural injunctions. For the devotees of this stage are prescribed regular and methodical worship, hymns, prayers, the repetition of God's name, and the chanting of His glories. This lower bhakti in course of time matures into para-bhakti, or supreme devotion, known also as prema, the most intense form of divine love. Divine love is an end in itself. It exists potentially in all human hearts, but in the case of bound creatures it is misdirected to earthly objects.
--
While practising the discipline of the madhur bhava, the male devotee often regards himself as a woman, in order to develop the most intense form of love for Sri Krishna, the only purusha, or man, in the universe. This assumption of the attitude of the opposite sex has a deep psychological significance. It is a matter of common experience that an idea may be cultivated to such an intense degree that every idea alien to it is driven from the mind. This peculiarity of the mind may be utilized for the subjugation of the lower desires and the development of the spiritual nature. Now, the idea which is the basis of all desires and passions in a man is the conviction of his indissoluble association with a male body. If he can inoculate himself thoroughly with the idea that he is a woman, he can get rid of the desires peculiar to his male body. Again, the idea that he is a woman may in turn be made to give way to another higher idea, namely, that he is neither man nor woman, but the Impersonal Spirit. The Impersonal Spirit alone can enjoy real communion with the Impersonal God. Hence the highest est realization of the Vaishnava draws close to the transcendental experience of the Vedantist.
A beautiful expression of the Vaishnava worship of God through love is to be found in the Vrindavan episode of the Bhagavata. The gopis, or milk-maids, of Vrindavan regarded the six-year-old Krishna as their Beloved. They sought no personal gain or happiness from this love. They surrendered to Krishna their bodies, minds, and souls. Of all the gopis, Radhika, or Radha, because of her intense love for Him, was the closest to Krishna. She manifested mahabhava and was united with her Beloved. This union represents, through sensuous language, a supersensuous experience.
--
Sri Ramakrishna, much impressed with his devotion, requested Jatadhari to spend a few days at Dakshineswar. Soon Ramlala became the favourite companion of Sri Ramakrishna too. Later on he described to the devotees how the little image would dance gracefully before him, jump on his back, insist on being taken in his arms, run to the fields in the sun, pluck flowers from the bushes, and play pranks like a naughty boy. A very sweet relationship sprang up between him and Ramlala, for whom he felt the love of a mother.
One day Jatadhari requested Sri Ramakrishna to keep the image and bade him adieu with tearful eyes. He declared that Ramlala had fulfilled his innermost prayer and that he now had no more need of formal worship. A few days later Sri Ramakrishna was blessed through Ramlala with a vision of Ramachandra, whereby he realized that the Rama of the Ramayana, the son of Dasaratha, perva des the whole universe as Spirit and Consciousness; that He is its Creator, Sustainer, and destroyer; that, in still another aspect, He is the transcendental Brahman, without form, attribute, or name.
While worshipping Ramlala as the Divine Child, Sri Ramakrishna's heart became filled with motherly tenderness, and he began to regard himself as a woman. His speech and gestures changed. He began to move freely with the ladies of Mathur's family, who now looked upon him as one of their own sex. During this time he worshipped the Divine Mother as Her companion or handmaid.
--
He said later on: "It is impossible to describe the heavenly beauty and sweetness of Radha. Her very appearance showed that she had completely forgotten herself in her passionate attachment to Krishna. Her complexion was a light yellow."
Now one with Radha, he manifested the great ecstatic love, the mahabhava, which had found in her its fullest expression. Later Sri Ramakrishna said: "The manifestation in the same individual of the nineteen different kinds of emotion for God is called, in the books on bhakti, mahabhava. An ordinary man takes a whole lifetime to express even a single one of these. But in this body [meaning himself] there has been a complete manifestation of all nineteen."
--
The Brahmani was the enthusiastic teacher and astonished beholder of Sri Ramakrishna in his spiritual progress. She became proud of the achievements of her unique pupil. But the pupil himself was not permitted to rest; his destiny beckoned him forward. His Divine Mother would allow him no respite till he had left behind the entire realm of duality with its visions, experiences, and ecstatic dreams. But for the new ascent the old tender gui des would not suffice. The Brahmani, on whom he had depended for, three years, saw her son escape from her to follow the command of a teacher with masculine strength, a sterner mien, a gnarled physique, and a virile voice. The new guru was a wandering monk, the sturdy Totapuri, whom Sri Ramakrishna learnt to address affectionately as Nangta, the "Naked One", because of his total renunciation of all earthly objects and attachments, including even a piece of wearing cloth.
Totapuri was the bearer of a philosophy new to Sri Ramakrishna, the non-dualistic Vedanta philosophy, whose conclusions Totapuri had experienced in his own life. This ancient Hindu system designates the Ultimate Reality as Brahman, also described as Satchidananda, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute. Brahman is the only Real Existence. In It there is no time, no space, no causality, no multiplicity. But through maya, Its inscrutable Power, time, space, and causality are created and the One appears to break into the many. The eternal Spirit appears as a manifold of individuals endowed with form and subject to the conditions of time. The Immortal becomes a victim of birth and death. The Changeless undergoes change. The sinless Pure Soul, hypnotized by Its own maya, experiences the joys of heaven and the pains of hell. But these experiences based on the duality of the subject-object relationship are unreal. Even the vision of a Personal God
is, ultimately speaking, as illusory as the experience of any other object. Man attains his liberation, therefore, by piercing the veil of maya and rediscovering his total identity with Brahman. Knowing himself to be one with the Universal Spirit, he realizes ineffable Peace. Only then does he go beyond the fiction of birth and death; only then does he become immortal. 'And this is the ultimate goal of all religions — to dehypnotize the soul now hypnotized by its own ignorance.
The path of the Vedantic discipline is the path of negation, "neti", in which, by stern determination, all that is unreal is both negated and renounced. It is the path of jnana, knowledge, the direct method of realizing the Absolute. After the negation of everything relative, including the discriminating ego itself, the aspirant merges in the One without a Second, in the bliss of nirvikalpa samadhi, where subject and object are alike dissolved. The soul goes beyond the realm of thought. The domain of duality is transcended. Maya is left behind with all its changes and modifications. The Real Man towers above the delusions of creation, preservation, and destruction. An avalanche of in describable Bliss sweeps away all relative ideas of pain and pleasure, good and evil. There shines in the heart the glory of the Eternal Brahman, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute. Knower, knowledge, and known are dissolved in the Ocean of one eternal Consciousness; love, lover, and beloved merge in the unbounded Sea of supreme Felicity; birth, growth, and death vanish in infinite Existence. All doubts and misgivings are quelled for ever; the oscillations of the mind are stopped; the momentum of past actions is exhausted. Breaking down the ridge-pole of the tabernacle in which the soul has made its abode for untold ages, stilling the body, calming the mind, drowning the ego, the sweet joy of Brahman wells up in that superconscious state. Space disappears into nothingness, time is swallowed in eternity, and causation becomes a dream of the past. Only Existence is. Ah! Who can describe what the soul then feels in its communion with the Self?
Even when man descends from this dizzy height, he is devoid of ideas of "I" and "mine"; he looks on the body as a mere shadow, an outer sheath encasing the soul. He does not dwell on the past, takes no thought for the future, and looks with indifference on the present. He surveys everything in the world with an eye of equality; he is no longer touched by the infinite variety of phenomena; he no longer reacts to pleasure and pain. He remains unmoved whether he — that is to say, his body — is worshipped by the good or tormented by the wicked; for he realizes that it is the one Brahman that manifests Itself through everything. The impact of such an experience devastates the body and mind. Consciousness becomes blasted, as it were, with an excess of Light. In the Vedanta books it is said that after the experience of nirvikalpa samadhi the body drops off like a dry leaf. Only those who are born with a special mission for the world can return
from this height to the valleys of normal life. They live and move in the world for the welfare of mankind. They are invested with a supreme spiritual power. A divine glory shines through them.
--
In the burning flame before him Sri Ramakrishna performed the rituals of destroying his attachment to relatives, friends, body, mind, sense-organs, ego, and the world. The leaping flame swallowed it all, making the initiate free and pure. The sacred thread and the tuft of hair were consigned to the fire, completing his severance from caste, sex, and society. Last of all he burnt in that fire, with all that is holy as his witness, his desire for enjoyment here and hereafter. He uttered the sacred mantras giving assurance of safety and fearlessness to all beings, who were only manifestations of his own Self. The rites completed, the disciple received from the guru the loin-cloth and ochre robe, the emblems of his new life.
The teacher and the disciple repaired to the meditation room near by. Totapuri began to impart to Sri Ramakrishna the great truths of Vedanta.
"Brahman", he said, "is the only Reality, ever pure, ever illumined, ever free, beyond the limits of time, space, and causation. Though apparently divided by names and forms through the inscrutable power of maya, that enchantress who makes the impossible possible, Brahman is really One and undivided. When a seeker merges in the beatitude of samadhi, he does not perceive time and space or name and form, the offspring of maya. Whatever is within the domain of maya is unreal. Give it up. destroy the prison-house of name and form and rush out of it with the strength of a lion. Dive deep in search of the Self and realize It through samadhi. You will find the world of name and form vanishing into void, and the puny ego dissolving in Brahman-Consciousness. You will realize your identity with Brahman, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute." Quoting the Upanishad, Totapuri said: "That knowledge is shallow by which one sees or hears or knows another
. What is shallow is worthless and can never give real felicity. But the Knowledge by which one does not see another or hear another or know another, which is beyond duality, is great, and through such Knowledge one attains the Infinite Bliss. How can the mind and senses grasp That which shines in the heart of all as the Eternal Subject?"
Totapuri asked the disciple to withdraw his mind from all objects of the relative world, including the gods and god desses, and to concentrate on the Absolute. But the task was not easy even for Sri Ramakrishna. He found it impossible to take his mind beyond Kali, the Divine Mother of the Universe. "After the initiation", Sri Ramakrishna once said, describing the event, "Nangta began to teach me the various conclusions of the Advaita Vedanta and asked me to withdraw the mind completely from all objects and dive deep into the Atman. But in spite of all my attempts I could not altogether cross the realm of name and form and bring my mind to the unconditioned state. I had no difficulty in taking the mind from all the objects of the world. But the radiant and too familiar figure of the Blissful Mother, the Embodiment of the essence of Pure Consciousness, appeared before me as a living reality. Her bewitching smile prevented me from passing into the Great Beyond. Again and again I tried, but She stood in my way every time. In despair I said to Nangta: 'It is hopeless. I cannot raise my mind to the unconditioned state and come face to face with Atman.' He grew excited and sharply said: 'What? You can't do it? But you have to.' He cast his eyes around. Finding a piece of glass he took it up and stuck it between my eyebrows. 'Concentrate the mind on this point!' he thundered. Then with stern determination I again sat to meditate. As soon as the gracious form of the Divine Mother appeared before me, I used my discrimination as a sword and with it clove Her in two. The last barrier fell. My spirit at once soared beyond the relative plane and I lost myself in samadhi."
Sri Ramakrishna remained completely absorbed in samadhi for three days. "Is it really true?" Totapuri cried out in astonishment. "Is it possible that he has attained in a single day what it took me forty years of strenuous practice to achieve? Great God! It is nothing short of a miracle!" With the help of Totapuri, Sri Ramakrishna's mind finally came down to the relative plane.
--
Totapuri had no idea of the struggles of ordinary men in the toils of passion and desire. Having maintained all through life the guilelessness of a child, he laughed at the idea of a man's being led astray by the senses. He was convinced that the world was maya and had only to be denounced to vanish for ever. A born non-dualist, he had no faith in a Personal God. He did not believe in the terrible aspect of Kali, much less in Her benign aspect. Music and the chanting of God's holy name were to him only so much nonsense. He ridiculed the spending of emotion on the worship of a Personal God.
--- KALI AND MAYA
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Thus, after nirvikalpa samadhi, Sri Ramakrishna realized maya in an altogether new role. The binding aspect of Kali vanished from before his vision. She no longer obscured his understanding. The world became the glorious manifestation of the Divine Mother. Maya became Brahman. The Transcendental Itself broke through the Immanent. Sri Ramakrishna discovered that maya operates in the relative world in two ways, and he termed these "avidyamaya" and "vidyamaya". Avidyamaya represents the dark forces of creation: sensuous desires, evil passions, greed, lust, cruelty, and so on. It sustains the world system on the lower planes. It is responsible for the round of man's birth and death. It must be fought and vanquished. But vidyamaya is the higher force of creation: the spiritual virtues, the enlightening qualities, kindness, purity, love, devotion. Vidyamaya elevates man to the higher planes of consciousness. With the help of vidyamaya the devotee rids himself of avidyamaya; he then becomes mayatita, free of maya. The two aspects of maya are the two forces of creation, the two powers of Kali; and She stands beyond them both. She is like the effulgent sun, bringing into existence and shining through and standing behind the clouds of different colours and shapes, conjuring up wonderful forms in the blue autumn heaven.
The Divine Mother asked Sri Ramakrishna not to be lost in the featureless Absolute but to remain, in bhavamukha, on the threshold of relative consciousness, the border line between the Absolute and the Relative. He was to keep himself at the "sixth centre" of Tantra, from which he could see not only the glory of the seventh, but also the divine manifestations of the Kundalini in the lower centres. He gently oscillated back and forth across the dividing line. Ecstatic devotion to the Divine Mother alternated with serene absorption in the Ocean of Absolute Unity. He thus bridged the gulf between the Personal and the Impersonal, the immanent and the transcendent aspects of Reality. This is a unique experience in the recorded spiritual history of the world.
--
Sri Ramakrishna later described the significance of Totapuri's lessons:
"When I think of the Supreme Being as inactive — neither creating nor preserving nor destroying —, I call Him Brahman or Purusha, the Impersonal God. When I think of Him as active — creating, preserving, and destroying —, I call Him Sakti or Maya or Prakriti, the Personal God. But the distinction between them does not mean a difference. The Personal and the Impersonal are the same thing, like milk and its whiteness, the diamond and its lustre, the snake and its wriggling motion. It is impossible to conceive of the one without the other. The Divine Mother and Brahman are one."
After the departure of Totapuri, Sri Ramakrishna remained for six months in a state of absolute identity with Brahman. "For six months at a stretch", he said, "I remained in that state from which ordinary men can never return; generally the body falls off, after three weeks, like a sere leaf. I was not conscious of day and night. Flies would enter my mouth and nostrils just as they do a dead body's, but I did not feel them. My hair became matted with dust."
--
Eight years later, some time in November 1874, Sri Ramakrishna was seized with an irresistible desire to learn the truth of the Christian religion. He began to listen to readings from the Bible, by Sambhu Charan Mallick, a gentleman of Calcutta and a devotee of the Master. Sri Ramakrishna became fascinated by the life and teachings of Jesus. One day he was seated in the parlour of Jadu Mallick's garden house (This expression is used throughout to translate the Bengali word denoting a rich man's country house set in a garden.) at Dakshineswar, when his eyes became fixed on a painting of the Madonna and Child. Intently watching it, he became gradually overwhelmed with divine emotion. The figures in the picture took on life, and the rays of light emanating from them entered his soul. The effect of this experience was stronger than that of the vision of Mohammed. In dismay he cried out, "O Mother! What are You doing to me?" And, breaking through the barriers of creed and religion, he entered a new realm of ecstasy. Christ possessed his soul. For three days he did not set foot in the Kali temple. On the fourth day, in the afternoon, as he was walking in the Panchavati, he saw coming toward him a person with beautiful large eyes, serene countenance, and fair skin. As the two faced each other, a voice rang out in the depths of Sri Ramakrishna's soul: "Behold the Christ, who shed His heart's blood for the redemption of the world, who suffered a sea of anguish for love of men. It is He, the Master Yogi, who is in eternal union with God. It is Jesus, Love Incarnate." The Son of Man embraced the Son of the Divine Mother and merged in him. Sri Ramakrishna krishna realized his identity with Christ, as he had already realized his identity with Kali, Rama, Hanuman, Radha, Krishna, Brahman, and Mohammed. The Master went into samadhi and communed with the Brahman with attributes. Thus he experienced the truth that Christianity, too, was a path leading to God-Consciousness. Till the last moment of his life he believed that Christ was an Incarnation of God. But Christ, for him, was not the only Incarnation; there were others — Buddha, for instance, and Krishna.
--- ATTITUDE TOWARD DIFFERENT RELIGIONS
--
In the nirvikalpa samadhi Sri Ramakrishna had realized that Brahman alone is real and the world illusory. By keeping his mind six months on the plane of the non-dual Brahman, he had attained to the state of the vijnani, the knower of Truth in a special and very rich sense, who sees Brahman not only in himself and in the transcendental Absolute, but in everything of the world. In this state of vijnana, sometimes, bereft of body-consciousness, he would regard himself as one with Brahman; sometimes, conscious of the dual world, he would regard himself as God's devotee, servant, or child. In order to enable the Master to work for the welfare of humanity, the Divine Mother had kept in him a trace of ego, which he described — according to his mood — as the "ego of Knowledge", the "ego of Devotion", the "ego of a child", or the "ego of a servant". In any case this ego of the Master, consumed by the fire of the Knowledge of Brahman, was an appearance only, like a burnt string. He often referred to this ego as the "ripe ego" in contrast with the ego of the bound soul, which he described as the "unripe" or "green" ego. The ego of the bound soul identifies itself with the body, relatives, possessions, and the world; but the "ripe ego", illumined by Divine Knowledge, knows the body, relatives, possessions, and the world to be unreal and establishes a relationship of love with God alone. Through this "ripe ego" Sri Ramakrishna dealt with the world and his wife. One day, while stroking his feet, Sarada Devi asked the Master, "What do you think of me?" Quick came the answer: "The Mother who is worshipped in the temple is the mother who has given birth to my body and is now living in the nahabat, and it is She again who is stroking my feet at this moment. Indeed, I always look on you as the personification of the Blissful Mother Kali."
Sarada Devi, in the company of her husband, had rare spiritual experiences. She said: "I have no words to describe my wonderful exaltation of spirit as I watched him in his different moods. Under the influence of divine emotion he would sometimes talk on abstruse subjects, sometimes laugh, sometimes weep, and sometimes become perfectly motionless in samadhi. This would continue throughout the night. There was such an extraordinary divine presence in him that now and then I would shake with fear and wonder how the night would pass. Months went by in this way. Then one day he discovered that I had to keep awake the whole night lest, during my sleep, he should go into samadhi — for it might happen at any moment —, and so he asked me to sleep in the nahabat."
--- SUMMARY OF THE MASTER'S SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES
--
Second, the three great systems of thought known as Dualism, Qualified Non-dualism, and Absolute Non-dualism — Dvaita, Visishtadvaita, and Advaita — he perceived to represent three stages in man's progress toward the Ultimate Reality. They were not contradictory but complementary and suited to different temperaments. For the ordinary man with strong attachment to the senses, a dualistic form of religion, prescribing a certain amount of material support, such as music and other symbols, is useful. A man of God-realization transcends the idea of worldly duties, but the ordinary mortal must perform his duties, striving to be unattached and to surrender the results to God. The mind can comprehend and describe the range of thought and experience up to the Visishtadvaita, and no further. The Advaita, the last word in spiritual experience, is something to be felt in samadhi. for it transcends mind and speech. From the highest standpoint, the Absolute and Its manifestation are equally real — the Lord's Name, His Abode, and the Lord Himself are of the same spiritual Essence. Everything is Spirit, the difference being only in form.
Third, Sri Ramakrishna realized the wish of the Divine Mother that through him She should found a new Order, consisting of those who would uphold the universal doctrines illustrated in his life.
--
Gradually other Brahmo leaders began to feel Sri Ramakrishna's influence. But they were by no means uncritical admirers of the Master. They particularly disapproved of his ascetic renunciation and condemnation of "woman and gold".1 They measured him according to their own ideals of the householder's life. Some could not understand his samadhi and described it as a nervous malady. Yet they could not resist his magnetic personality.
Among the Brahmo leaders who knew the Master closely were Pratap Chandra Mazumdar, Vijaykrishna Goswami, Trailokyanath Sannyal, and Shivanath Shastri.
Shivanath, one day, was greatly impressed by the Master's utter simplicity and abhorrence of praise. He was seated with Sri Ramakrishna in the latter's room when several rich men of Calcutta arrived. The Master left the room for a few minutes. In the mean time Hriday, his nephew, began to describe his samadhi to the visitors. The last few words caught the Master's ear as he entered the room. He said to Hriday: "What a mean-spirited fellow you must be to extol me thus before these rich men! You have seen their costly apparel and their gold watches and chains, and your object is to get from them as much money as you can. What do I care about what they think of me? (Turning to the gentlemen) No, my friends, what he has told you about me is not true. It was not love of God that made me absorbed in God and indifferent to external life. I became positively insane for some time. The sadhus who frequented this temple told me to practise many things. I tried to follow them, and the consequence was that my austerities drove me to insanity." This is a quotation from one of Shivanath's books. He took the Master's words literally and failed to see their real import.
Shivanath vehemently criticized the Master for his other-worldly attitude toward his wife. He writes: "Ramakrishna was practically separated from his wife, who lived in her village home. One day when I was complaining to some friends about the virtual widowhood of his wife, he drew me to one side and whispered in my ear: 'Why do you complain? It is no longer possible; it is all dead and gone.' Another day as I was inveighing against this part of his teaching, and also declaring that our program of work in the Brahmo Samaj inclu des women, that ours is a social and domestic religion, and that we want to give education and social liberty to women, the saint became very much excited, as was his way when anything against his settled conviction was asserted — a trait we so much liked in him — and exclaimed, 'Go, thou fool, go and perish in the pit that your women will dig for you.' Then he glared at me and said: 'What does a gardener do with a young plant? Does he not surround it with a fence, to protect it from goats and cattle? And when the young plant has grown up into a tree and it can no longer be injured by cattle, does he not remove the fence and let the tree grow freely?' I replied, 'Yes, that is the custom with gardeners.' Then he remarked, 'Do the same in your spiritual life; become strong, be full-grown; then you may seek them.' To which I replied, 'I don't agree with you in thinking that women's work is like that of cattle, destructive; they are our associates and helpers in our spiritual struggles and social progress' — a view with which he could not agree, and he marked his dissent by shaking his head. Then referring to the lateness of the hour he jocularly remarked, 'It is time for you to depart; take care, do not be late; otherwise your woman will not admit you into her room.' This evoked hearty laughter."
Pratap Chandra Mazumdar, the right-hand man of Keshab and an accomplished Brahmo preacher in Europe and America, bitterly criticized Sri Ramakrishna's use of uncultured language and also his austere attitude toward his wife. But he could not escape the spell of the Master's personality. In the course of an article about Sri Ramakrishna, Pratap wrote in the "Theistic Quarterly Review": "What is there in common between him and me? I, a Europeanized, civilized, self-centred, semi-sceptical, so-called educated reasoner, and he, a poor, illiterate, unpolished, half-idolatrous, friendless Hindu devotee? Why should I sit long hours to attend to him, I, who have listened to Disraeli and Fawcett, Stanley and Max Muller, and a whole host of European scholars and divines? . . . And it is not I only, but dozens like me, who do the same. . . . He worships Siva, he worships Kali, he worships Rama, he worships Krishna, and is a confirmed advocate of Vedantic doctrines. . . . He is an idolater, yet is a faithful and most devoted meditator on the perfections of the One Formless, Absolute, Infinite Deity. . . . His religion is ecstasy, his worship means transcendental insight, his whole nature burns day and night with a permanent fire and fever of a strange faith and feeling. . . . So long as he is spared to us, gladly shall we sit at his feet to learn from him the sublime precepts of purity, unworldliness, spirituality, and inebriation in the love of God. . . . He, by his childlike bhakti, by his strong conceptions of an ever-ready Motherhood, helped to unfold it [God as our Mother] in our minds wonderfully. . . . By associating with him we learnt to realize better the divine attributes as scattered over the three hundred and thirty millions of deities of mythological India, the gods of the Puranas."
--
^The term "woman and gold", which has been used throughout in a collective sense, occurs again and again in the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna to designate the chief impediments to spiritual progress. This favourite expression of the Master, "kaminikanchan", has often been misconstrued. By it he meant only "lust and greed", the baneful influence of which retards the aspirant's spiritual growth. He used the word "kamini", or "woman", as a concrete term for the sex instinct when addressing his man devotees. He advised women, on the other hand, to shun "man". "Kanchan", or "gold", symbolizes greed, which is the other obstacle to spiritual life.
Sri Ramakrishna never taught his disciples to hate any woman, or womankind in general. This can be seen clearly by going through all his teachings under this head and judging them collectively. The Master looked on all women as so many images of the Divine Mother of the Universe. He paid the highest homage to womankind by accepting a woman as his guide while practising the very profound spiritual disciplines of Tantra. His wife, known and revered as the Holy Mother, was his constant companion and first disciple. At the end of his spiritual practice he literally worshipped his wife as the embodiment of the God dess Kali, the Divine Mother. After his passing away the Holy Mother became the spiritual guide not only of a large number of householders, but also of many monastic members of the Ramakrishna Order.
--
But to the young men destined to be monks he pointed out the steep path of renunciation, both external and internal. They must take the vow of absolute continence and eschew all thought of greed and lust. By the practice of continence, aspirants develop a subtle nerve through which they understand the deeper mysteries of God. For them self-control is final, imperative, and absolute. The sannyasis are teachers of men, and their lives should be totally free from blemish. They must not even look at a picture which may awaken their animal passions. The Master selected his future monks from young men untouched by "woman and gold" and plastic enough to be cast in his spiritual mould. When teaching them the path of renunciation and discrimination, he would not allow the householders to be anywhere near them.
--- RAM AND MANOMOHAN
--
. But see that you don't become intoxicated; you must not reel and your thoughts must not wander. At first you will feel ordinary excitement, but soon you will experience spiritual exaltation." Gradually Surendra's entire life was changed. The Master designated him as one of those commissioned by the Divine Mother to defray a great part of his expenses. Surendra's purse was always open for the Master's comfort.
--- KEDAR
--
Durgacharan Nag, also known as Nag Mahashay, was the ideal householder among the lay disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. He was the embodiment of the Master's ideal of life in the world, unstained by worldliness. In spite of his intense desire to become a sannyasi, Sri Ramakrishna asked him to live in the world in the spirit of a monk, and the disciple truly carried out this injunction. He was born of a poor family and even during his boyhood often sacrificed everything to lessen the sufferings of the needy. He had married at an early age and after his wife's death had married a second time to obey his father's command. But he once said to his wife: "Love on the physical level never lasts. He is indeed blessed who can give his love to God with his whole heart. Even a little attachment to the body endures for several births. So do not be attached to this cage of bone and flesh. Take shelter at the feet of the Mother and think of Her alone. Thus your life here and hereafter will be ennobled." The Master spoke of him as a "blazing light". He received every word of Sri Ramakrishna in dead earnest. One day he heard the Master saying that it was difficult for doctors, lawyers, and brokers to make much progress in spirituality. Of doctors he said, "If the mind clings to the tiny drops of medicine, how can it conceive of the Infinite?" That was the end of Durgacharan's medical practice and he threw his chest of medicines into the Ganges. Sri Ramakrishna assured him that he would not lack simple food and clothing. He bade him serve holy men. On being asked where he would find real holy men, the Master said that the sadhus themselves would seek his company. No sannyasi could have lived a more austere life than Durgacharan.
--- GIRISH GHOSH
--
Purna was a lad of thirteen, whom Sri Ramakrishna described as an Isvarakoti, a soul born with special spiritual qualities. The Master said that Purna was the last of the group of brilliant devotees who, as he once had seen in a trance, would come to him for spiritual illumination. Purna said to Sri Ramakrishna during their second meeting, "You are God Himself incarnated in flesh and blood." Such words coming from a mere youngster proved of what stuff the boy was made.
--- MAHIMACHARAN AND PRATAP HAZRA
Mahimacharan and Pratap Hazra were two devotees outstanding for their pretentiousness and idiosyncrasies. But the Master showed them his unfailing love and kindness, though he was aware of their shortcomings. Mahimacharan Chakravarty had met the Master long before the arrival of the other disciples. He had had the intention of leading a spiritual life, but a strong desire to acquire name and fame was his weakness. He claimed to have been initiated by Totapuri and used to say that he had been following the path of knowledge according to his guru's instructions. He possessed a large library of English and Sanskrit books. But though he pretended to have read them, most of the leaves were uncut. The Master knew all his limitations, yet enjoyed listening to him recite from the Vedas and other scriptures. He would always exhort Mahima to meditate on the meaning of the scriptural texts and to practise spiritual discipline.
Pratap Hazra, a middle-aged man, hailed from a village near Kamarpukur. He was not altogether unresponsive to religious feelings. On a moment's impulse he had left his home, aged mother, wife, and children, and had found shelter in the temple garden at Dakshineswar, where he intended to lead a spiritual life. He loved to argue, and the Master often pointed him out as an example of barren argumentation. He was hypercritical of others and cherished an exaggerated notion of his own spiritual advancement. He was mischievous and often tried to upset the minds of the Master's young disciples, criticizing them for their happy and joyous life and asking them to devote their time to meditation. The Master teasingly compared Hazra to Jatila and Kutila, the two women who always created obstructions in Krishna's sport with the gopis, and said that Hazra lived at Dakshineswar to "thicken the plot" by adding complications.
--
The Europeanized Kristodas Pal did not approve of the Master's emphasis on renunciation and said; "Sir, this cant of renunciation has almost ruined the country. It is for this reason that the Indians are a subject nation today. Doing good to others, bringing education to the door of the ignorant, and above all, improving the material conditions of the country — these should be our duty now. The cry of religion and renunciation would, on the contrary, only weaken us. You should advise the young men of Bengal to resort only to such acts as will uplift the country." Sri Ramakrishna gave him a searching look and found no divine light within, "You man of poor understanding!" Sri Ramakrishna said sharply. "You dare to slight in these terms renunciation and piety, which our scriptures describe as the greatest of all virtues! After reading two pages of English you think you have come to know the world! You appear to think you are omniscient. Well, have you seen those tiny crabs that are born in the Ganges just when the rains set in? In this big universe you are even less significant than one of those small creatures. How dare you talk of helping the world? The Lord will look to that. You haven't the power in you to do it." After a pause the Master continued: "Can you explain to me how you can work for others? I know what you mean by helping them. To feed a number of persons, to treat them when they are sick, to construct a road or dig a well — isn't that all? These, are good deeds, no doubt, but how trifling in comparison with the vastness of the universe! How far can a man advance in this line? How many people can you save from famine? Malaria has ruined a whole province; what could you do to stop its onslaught? God alone looks after the world. Let a man first realize Him. Let a man get the authority from God and be endowed with His power; then, and then alone, may he think of doing good to others. A man should first be purged of all egotism. Then alone will the Blissful Mother ask him to work for the world." Sri Ramakrishna mistrusted philanthropy that presumed to pose as charity. He warned people against it. He saw in most acts of philanthropy nothing but egotism, vanity, a desire for glory, a barren excitement to kill the boredom of life, or an attempt to soothe a guilty conscience. True charity, he taught, is the result of love of God — service to man in a spirit of worship.
--- MONASTIC DISCIPLES
--
Others destined to be monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna came to Dakshineswar. Taraknath Ghoshal had felt from his boyhood the noble desire to realize God. Keshab and the Brahmo Samaj had attracted him but proved inadequate. In 1882 he first met the Master at Ramchandra's house and was astonished to hear him talk about samadhi, a subject which always fascinated his mind. And that evening he actually saw a manifestation of that superconscious state in the Master. Tarak became a frequent visitor at Dakshineswar and received the Master's grace in abundance. The young boy often felt ecstatic fervour in meditation. He also wept profusely while meditating on God. Sri Ramakrishna said to him: "God favours those who can weep for Him. Tears shed for God wash away the sins of former births."
--- BABURAM
--
Jogindranath came of an aristocratic brahmin family of Dakshineswar. His father and relatives shared the popular mistrust of Sri Ramakrishna's sanity. At a very early age the boy developed religious tendencies, spending two or three hours daily in meditation, and his meeting with Sri Ramakrishna deepened his desire for the realization of God. He had a perfect horror of marriage. But at the earnest request of his mother he had had to yield, and he now believed that his spiritual future was doomed. So he kept himself away from the Master.
Sri Ramakrishna employed a ruse to bring Jogindra to him. As soon as the disciple entered the room, the Master rushed forward to meet the young man. Catching hold of the disciple's hand, he said: "What if you have married? Haven't I too married? What is there to be afraid of in that?" Touching his own chest he said: "If this [meaning himself] is propitious, then even a hundred thousand marriages cannot injure you. If you desire to lead a householder's life, then bring your wife here one day, and I shall see that she becomes a real companion in your spiritual progress. But if you want to lead a monastic life, then I shall eat up your attachment to the world." Jogin was dumbfounded at these words. He received new strength, and his spirit of renunciation was re-established.
--- SASHI AND SARAT
--
The young disciples destined to be monks, Sri Ramakrishna invited on week-days, when the householders were not present. The training of the householders and of the future monks had to proceed along entirely different lines. Since M. generally visited the Master on week-ends, the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna does not contain much mention of the future monastic disciples.
Finally, there was a handful of fortunate disciples, householders as well as youngsters, who were privileged to spend nights with the Master in his room. They would see him get up early in the morning and walk up and down the room, singing in his sweet voice and tenderly communing with the Mother.
--
In April 1885 the Master's throat became inflamed. Prolonged conversation or absorption in samadhi, making the blood flow into the throat, would aggravate the pain. Yet when the annual Vaishnava festival was celebrated at Panihati, Sri Ramakrishna attended it against the doctor's advice. With a group of disciples he spent himself in music, dance, and ecstasy. The illness took a turn for the worse and was diagnosed as "clergyman's sore throat". The patient was cautioned against conversation and ecstasies. Though he followed the physician's directions regarding medicine and diet, he could neither control his trances nor withhold from seekers the solace of his advice. Sometimes, like a sulky child, he would complain to the Mother about the crowds, who gave him no rest day or night. He was overheard to say to Her; "Why do You bring here all these worthless people, who are like milk diluted with five times its own quantity of water? My eyes are almost destroyed with blowing the fire to dry up the water. My health is gone. It is beyond my strength. Do it Yourself, if You want it done. This (pointing to his own body) is but a perforated drum, and if you go on beating it day in and day out, how long will it last?"
But his large heart never turned anyone away. He said, "Let me be condemned to be born over and over again, even in the form of a dog, if I can be of help to a single soul." And he bore the pain, singing cheerfully, "Let the body be preoccupied with illness, but, O mind, dwell for ever in God's Bliss!"
0.00 - The Book of Lies Text, #The Book of Lies, #Aleister Crowley, #Philosophy
Comments and descriptions are also set off by ().
THE BOOK OF LIES
--
fore destined to be more fertile that almost any other
study, and that in a way despite itself. A word should
be pertinent with regard to the question of secrecy.
--
without success. I went off in desperation to `change
my luck', by doing something entirely contrary to
--
pointed to a passage in the despised chapter. It
instantly flashed upon me. The entire symbolism not
--
These six were destroyed by the Master of the
Temple; and he spake not.
--
The Master of the Temple destroys all these illusions,
but remains silent. See the description of his functions
in the Equinox, Liber 418 and elsewhere.
--
destroy therefore the Eight Parts of Speech; the
Ninth is nigh unto Truth.
This also must be destroyed before thou enterest
into The Silence.
--
Cross, the rapture of Union that destroys, that is
The Way. The Rosy Cross is the Ambassador of Pan.
--
The first part of the chapter describes the universe
in its highest sense, down to Tiphareth; it is the new
--
desert.
[37]
--
described in Chapter 34. All individual existence is
tragic. Perception of this fact is the essence of comedy.
--
have I burned the corpse of my desires.
Mighty and erect is this {Phi-alpha-lambda-lambda-omicron-sigma}
--
from the deserts of the North;it wingeth through
the blue; it wingeth over the fields of rice; at its
--
destroying them and himself. Milton founds a poem on
this fable.
--
THE desPOT
The waiters of the best eating-houses mock the whole
--
meaning "Get out". This chapter describes the Great
Work under the figure of a man ridding himself of all
--
had his desire.
And with all this he was but himself.
--
Love destroyeth self, uniting self with that which is
not-self, so that Love breedeth All and None in
--
that method of destroying the reason by formulating
contradictions is definitely inculcated.
--
descend upon Tiphareth, where the human will is
situated, and flood it with the ineffable light.
--
The Eagle described in paragraph 1 is that of the
Templars.
--
This desert is the Abyss wherein the Universe.
The Stars are but thistles in that waste.
Yet this desert is but one spot accursed in a world of
bliss.
Now and again Travellers cross the desert; they come
from the Great Sea, and to the Great Sea they go.
--
the desert, till it flower.
See! five footprints of a Camel! V.V.V.V.V.
--
Zoroaster describes God as having the head of the Hawk, and
a spiral force. It will be difficult to understand this chapter with-
--
inhabitants, not of this desert; their abode is not this universe.
They come from the Great Sea, Binah, the City of the Pyramids.
--
described as a camel, not because of the connotation of the French
form of this word, but because "camel" is in hebrew Gimel, and
--
The cause of sorrow is the desire of the One to the
Many, or of the Many to the One. This also is the
--
But the desire of one to another is all of sorrow; its
birth is hunger, and its death satiety.
The desire of the moth for the star at least saves him
satiety.
--
it has a real further advantage, in destroying the
Sankharas, which, however "good" in themselves,
--
Asana destroys the static body (Nama).
Pranayama destroys the dynamic body (Rupa).
Yama destroys the emotions. \ (Vedana).
Niyama destroys the passions. /
Dharana destroys the perceptions (Sanna).
Dhyana destroys the tendencies (Sankhara).
Samadhi destroys the consciousness (Vinnanam).
Homard a la Thermidor destroys the digestion.
The last of these facts is the one of which I am most
--
in which destruction is as much joy as creation.
(Compare Chapter 46.)
--
in paragraph 2, not only is the Divine Unity destroyed
but Daath, instead of being the Child of Chokmah and
--
My certainty that destiny is "good"
Rests on its picking me for Buddhahood.
--
philosophy, it is said that Shiva, the destroyer, is asleep, and that when he o
pens
his eye the universe is destroyed-another synonym, therefore, for the accomplis
ment of the Great Work. But the "eye" of Shiva is also his Lingam. Shiva is
--
the ejaculation of the lingam, the destruction of the universe, the accomplishm
ent
--
I destroyed all things; they are reborn in other
shapes.
--
The mirage will fade; then will the desert be thirstier
than before.
--
The Red Triangle is the descending tongue of grace;
the Blue Triangle is the ascending tongue of
--
gram this is revered; the descending red triangle is
that of Horus, a sign specially revealed by him per-
--
desending upon the altar, and licking up the burnt
offering.) The blue triangle represents the aspiration,
--
description of which in Payne Knight should be
carefully read before studying this chapter. All the
--
universe is destroyed. This statement means the same
as that of the Hindus, that the effective utterance of
--
destroy the universe.
In Egyptian and Gnostic magick we meet with pylons
--
destruction.
The logician my say, "But white exists, and if
white is destroyed, it leaves black; yet black exists. So
that in that case at least one known phenomenon of this
--
insanity desirable?" The oak is weakened by the ivy
which clings around it, but perhaps the ivy keeps it
--
falsely described as silence, to represent absence-of-conception beyond that
negative.
--
Then, when thou know'st the Wheel of destiny
complete, mayst thou perceive THAT Will which
--
woven on Its invisible design, is
{Alpha-Iota-Theta-Eta-Rho}.
--
the Angel of the Lord of despair and Cruelty.
Also "Silence" and "Shut Up".
The four meanings completely describe the chapter.)
[189]
--
22. The despot.
23. Skidoo!
0.00 - THE GOSPEL PREFACE, #The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, #Sri Ramakrishna, #Hinduism
"M", as the author mo destly styles himself, was peculiarly qualified for his task. To a reverent love for his master, to a deep and experiential knowledge of that master's teaching, he added a prodigious memory for the small happenings of each day and a happy gift for recording them in an interesting and realistic way. Making good use of his natural gifts and of the circumstances in which he found himself, "M" produced a book unique, so far as my knowledge goes, in the literature of hagiography. No other saint has had so able and indefatigable a Boswell. Never have the small events of a contemplative's daily life been described with such a wealth of intimate detail. Never have the casual and unstudied utterances of a great religious teacher been set down with so minute a fidelity. To Western readers, it is true, this fidelity and this wealth of detail are sometimes a trifle disconcerting; for the social, religious and intellectual frames of reference within which Sri Ramakrishna did his thinking and expressed his feelings were entirely Indian. But after the first few surprises and bewilderments, we begin to find something peculiarly stimulating and instructive about the very strangeness and, to our eyes, the eccentricity of the man revealed to us in "M's" narrative. What a scholastic philosopher would call the "accidents" of Ramakrishna's life were intensely Hindu and therefore, so far as we in the West are concerned, unfamiliar and hard to understand; its "essence", however, was intensely mystical and therefore universal. To read through these conversations in which mystical doctrine alternates with an unfamiliar kind of humour, and where discussions of the od dest aspects of Hindu mythology give place to the most profound and subtle utterances about the nature of Ultimate Reality, is in itself a liberal, education in humility, tolerance and suspense of judgment. We must be grateful to the translator for his excellent version of a book so curious and delightful as a biographical document, so precious, at the same time, for what it teaches us of the life of the spirit.
--------------------
--
I have made a literal translation, omitting only a few pages of no particular interest to English-speaking readers. Often literary grace has been sacrificed for the sake of literal translation. No translation can do full justice to the original. This difficulty is all the more felt in the present work, whose contents are of a deep mystical nature and describe the inner experiences of a great seer. Human language is an altogether inadequate vehicle to express supersensuous perception. Sri Ramakrishna was almost illiterate. He never clothed his thoughts in formal language. His words sought to convey his direct realization of Truth. His conversation was in a village patois. Therein lies its charm. In order to explain to his listeners an abstruse philosophy, he, like Christ before him, used with telling effect homely parables and illustrations, culled from his observation of the daily life around him.
The reader will find mentioned in this work many visions and experiences that fall outside the ken of physical science and even psychology. With the development of modern knowledge the border line between the natural and the supernatural is ever shifting its position. Genuine mystical experiences are not as suspect now as they were half a century ago. The words of Sri Ramakrishna have already exerted a tremendous influence in the land of his birth. Savants of Europe have found in his words the ring of universal truth.
--
I have thought it necessary to write a rather lengthy Introduction to the book. In it I have given the biography of the Master, descriptions of people who came in contact with him, short explanations of several systems of Indian religious thought intimately connected with Sri Ramakrishna's life, and other relevant matters which, I hope, will enable the reader better to understand and appreciate the unusual contents of this book. It is particularly important that the Western reader, unacquainted with Hindu religious thought, should first read carefully the introductory chapter, in order that he may fully enjoy these conversations. Many Indian terms and names have been retained in the book for want of suitable English equivalents. Their meaning is given either in the Glossary or in the foot-notes. The Glossary also gives explanations of a number of expressions unfamiliar to Western readers. The diacritical marks are explained under Notes on Pronunciation.
In the Introduction I have drawn much material from the Life of Sri Ramakrishna, published by the Advaita Ashrama, Myvati, India. I have also consulted the excellent article on Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Nirvednanda, in the second volume of the Cultural Heritage of India.
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In the spiritual firmament Sri Ramakrishna is a waxing crescent. Within one hundred years of his birth and fifty years of his death his message has spread across land and sea. Romain Rolland has described him as the fulfilment of the spiritual aspirations of the three hundred millions of Hindus for the last two thousand years. Mahatma Gandhi has written: "His life enables us to see God face to face. . . . Ramakrishna was a living embodiment of godliness." He is being recognized as a compeer of Krishna, Buddha, and Christ.
The life and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna have redirected the thoughts of the denationalized Hindus to the spiritual ideals of their forefa thers. During the latter part of the nineteenth century his was the time-honoured role of the Saviour of the Eternal Religion of the Hindus. His teachings played an important part in liberalizing the minds of orthodox pundits and hermits. Even now he is the silent force that is moulding the spiritual destiny of India. His great disciple, Swami Vivekananda, was the first Hindu missionary to preach the message of Indian culture to the enlightened minds of Europe and America. The full consequence of Swami Vivekn and work is still in the womb of the future.
May this translation of the first book of its kind in the religious history of the world, being the record of the direct words of a prophet, help stricken humanity to come nearer to the Eternal Verity of life and remove dissension and quarrel from among the different faiths!
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Imparting secular education was, however, only his profession ; his main concern was with the spiritual regeneration of man a calling for which destiny seems to have chosen him. From his childhood he was deeply pious, and he used to be moved very much by Sdhus, temples and Durga Puja celebrations. The piety and eloquence of the great Brahmo leader of the times, Keshab Chander Sen, elicited a powerful response from the impressionable mind of Mahendra Nath, as it did in the case of many an idealistic young man of Calcutta, and prepared him to receive the great Light that was to dawn on him with the coming of Sri Ramakrishna into his life.
This epoch-making event of his life came about in a very strange way. M. belonged to a joint family with several collateral members. Some ten years after he began his career as an educationist, bitter quarrels broke out among the members of the family, driving the sensitive M. to despair and utter despondency. He lost all interest in life and left home one night to go into the wide world with the idea of ending his life. At dead of night he took rest in his sister's house at Baranagar, and in the morning, accompanied by a nephew Siddheswar, he wandered from one garden to another in Calcutta until Siddheswar brought him to the Temple Garden of Dakshineswar where Sri Ramakrishna was then living. After spending some time in the beautiful rose gardens there, he was directed to the room of the Paramahamsa, where the eventful meeting of the Master and the disciple took place on a blessed evening (the exact date is not on record) on a Sunday in March 1882. As regards what took place on the occasion, the reader is referred to the opening section of the first chapter of the Gospel.
The Master, who divined the mood of desperation in M, his resolve to take leave of this 'play-field of deception', put new faith and hope into him by his gracious words of assurance: "God forbid! Why should you take leave of this world? Do you not feel blessed by discovering your Guru? By His grace, what is beyond all imagination or dreams can be easily achieved!" At these words the clouds of despair moved away from the horizon of M.'s mind, and the sunshine of a new hope revealed to him fresh vistas of meaning in life. Referring to this phase of his life, M. used to say, "Behold! where is the resolve to end life, and where, the discovery of God! That is, sorrow should be looked upon as a friend of man. God is all good." ( Ibid P.33.)
After this re-settlement, M's life revolved around the Master, though he continued his professional work as an educationist. During all holidays, including Sundays, he spent his time at Dakshineswar in the Master's company, and at times extended his stay to several days.
--
He was one of the earliest of the disciples to visit Kamarpukur, the birthplace of the Master, in the latter's lifetime itself; for he wished to practise contemplation on the Master's early life in its true original setting. His experience there is described as follows by Swami Nityatmananda: "By the grace of the Master, he saw the entire Kamarpukur as a holy place bathed in an effulgent Light. Trees and creepers, beasts and birds and men all were made of effulgence. So he prostrated to all on the road. He saw a torn cat, which appeared to him luminous with the Light of Consciousness. Immediately he fell to the ground and saluted it" (M The Apostle and the Evangelist by Swami Nityatmananda vol. I. P. 40.) He had similar experience in Dakshineswar also. At the instance of the Master he also visited Puri, and in the words of Swami Nityatmananda, "with indomitable courage, M. embraced the image of Jagannath out of season."
The life of Sdhan and holy association that he started on at the feet of the Master, he continued all through his life. He has for this reason been most appropriately described as a Grihastha-Sannysi (householder-Sannysin). Though he was forbidden by the Master to become a Sannysin, his reverence for the Sannysa ideal was whole-hearted and was without any reservation. So after Sri Ramakrishna's passing away, while several of the Master's householder devotees considered the young Sannysin disciples of the Master as inexperienced and inconsequential, M. stood by them with the firm faith that the Master's life and message were going to be perpetuated only through them. Swami Vivekananda wrote from America in a letter to the inmates of the Math: "When Sri Thkur (Master) left the body, every one gave us up as a few unripe urchins. But M. and a few others did not leave us in the lurch. We cannot repay our debt to them." (Swami Raghavananda's article on M. in Prabuddha Bharata vol. XXX P. 442.)
M. spent his weekends and holidays with the monastic brethren who, after the Master's demise, had formed themselves into an Order with a Math at Baranagore, and participated in the intense life of devotion and meditation that they followed. At other times he would retire to Dakshineswar or some garden in the city and spend several days in spiritual practice taking simple self-cooked food. In order to feel that he was one with all mankind he often used to go out of his home at dead of night, and like a wandering Sannysin, sleep with the waifs on some open verandah or footpath on the road.
--
Besi des the prompting of his inherent instinct, the main inducement for M. to keep this diary of his experiences at Dakshineswar was his desire to provide himself with a means for living in holy company at all times. Being a school teacher, he could be with the Master only on Sundays and other holidays, and it was on his diary that he depended for 'holy company' on other days. The devotional scriptures like the Bhagavata say that holy company is the first and most important means for the generation and growth of devotion. For, in such company man could hear talks on spiritual matters and listen to the glorification of Divine attri butes, charged with the fervour and conviction emanating from the hearts of great lovers of God. Such company is therefore the one certain means through which Sraddha (Faith), Rati (attachment to God) and Bhakti (loving devotion) are generated. The diary of his visits to Dakshineswar provided M. with material for re-living, through reading and contemplation, the holy company he had had earlier, even on days when he was not able to visit Dakshineswar. The wealth of details and the vivid description of men and things in the midst of which the sublime conversations are set, provide excellent material to re-live those experiences for any one with imaginative powers. It was observed by M.'s disciples and admirers that in later life also whenever he was free or alone, he would be pouring over his diary, transporting himself on the wings of imagination to the glorious days he spent at the feet of the Master.
During the Master's lifetime M. does not seem to have revealed the contents of his diary to any one. There is an unconfirmed tradition that when the Master saw him taking notes, he expressed apprehension at the possibility of his utilising these to publicise him like Keshab Sen; for the Great Master was so full of the spirit of renunciation and humility that he disliked being lionised. It must be for this reason that no one knew about this precious diary of M. for a decade until he brought out selections from it as a pamphlet in English in 1897 with the Holy Mother's blessings and permission. The Holy Mother, being very much pleased to hear parts of the diary read to her in Bengali, wrote to M.: "When I heard the Kathmrita, (Bengali name of the book) I felt as if it was he, the Master, who was saying all that." ( Ibid Part I. P 37.)
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It looks as if M. was brought to the world by the Great Master to record his words and transmit them to posterity. Swami Sivananda, a direct disciple of the Master and the second President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, says on this topic: "Whenever there was an interesting talk, the Master would call Master Mahashay if he was not in the room, and then draw his attention to the holy words spoken. We did not know then why the Master did so. Now we can realise that this action of the Master had an important significance, for it was reserved for Master Mahashay to give to the world at large the sayings of the Master." ( Vednta Kesari Vol. XIX P 141.) Thanks to M., we get, unlike in the case of the great teachers of the past, a faithful record with date, time, exact report of conversations, description of concerned men and places, references to contemporary events and personalities and a hundred other details for the last four years of the Master's life (1882-'86), so that no one can doubt the historicity of the Master and his teachings at any time in the future.
M. was, in every respect, a true missionary of Sri Ramakrishna right from his first acquaintance with him in 1882. As a school teacher, it was a practice with him to direct to the Master such of his students as had a true spiritual disposition. Though himself prohibited by the Master to take to monastic life, he encouraged all spiritually inclined young men he came across in his later life to join the monastic Order. Swami Vijnanananda, a direct Sannysin disciple of the Master and a President of the Ramakrishna Order, once remarked to M.: "By enquiry, I have come to the conclusion that eighty percent and more of the Sannysins have embraced the monastic life after reading the Kathmrita (Bengali name of the book) and coming in contact with you." ( M
0.00 - The Wellspring of Reality, #Synergetics - Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking, #R Buckminster Fuller, #Science
We are in an age that assumes the narrowing trends of specialization to be logical, natural, and desirable. Consequently, society expects all earnestly responsible communication to be crisply brief. Advancing science has now discovered that all the known cases of biological extinction have been caused by overspecialization, whose concentration of only selected genes sacrifices general adaptability. Thus the specialist's brief for pinpointing brevity is dubious. In the meantime, humanity has been deprived of comprehensive understanding. Specialization has bred feelings of isolation, futility, and confusion in individuals. It has also resulted in the individual's leaving responsibility for thinking and social action to others.
Specialization breeds biases that ultimately aggregate as international and ideological discord, which, in turn, leads to war.
--
It follows that the more specialized society becomes, the less attention does it pay to the discoveries of the mind, which are intuitively beamed toward the brain, there to be received only if the switches are "on." Specialization tends to shut off the wide-band tuning searches and thus to preclude further discovery of the all-powerful generalized principles. Again we see how society's perverse fixation on specialization leads to its extinction. We are so specialized that one man discovers empirically how to release the energy of the atom, while another, unbeknownst to him, is ordered by his political factotum to make an atomic bomb by use of the secretly and anonymously published data. That gives much expedient employment, which solves the politician's momentary problem, but requires that the politicians keep on preparing for further warring with other political states to keep their respective peoples employed. It is also mistakenly assumed that employment is the only means by which humans can earn the right to live, for politicians have yet to discover how much wealth is available for distribution. All this is rationalized on the now scientifically discredited premise that there can never be enough life support for all. Thus humanity's specialization leads only toward warring and such devastating tools, both, visible and invisible, as ultimately to destroy all Earthians.
Only a comprehensive switch from the narrowing specialization and toward an evermore inclusive and refining comprehension by all humanity-regarding all the factors governing omnicontinuing life aboard our spaceship Earth-can bring about reorientation from the self-extinction-bound human trending, and do so within the critical time remaining before we have passed the point of chemical process irretrievability.
--
There could be produced a synergetic understanding of humanity's cosmic functioning, which, until now, had been both undiscovered and unpredictable due to our deliberate and exclusive preoccupation only with the separate statistics of separate events. As a typical consequence of the latter, we observe our society's persistent increase of educational and employment specialization despite the already mentioned, well-documented scientific disclosure that the extinctions of biological species are always occasioned by overspecialization. Specialization's preoccupation with parts deliberately forfeits the opportunity to apprehend and comprehend what is provided exclusively by synergy.
Today's news consists of aggregates of fragments. Anyone who has taken part in any event that has subsequently appeared in the news is aware of the gross disparity between the actual and the reported events. The insistence by reporters upon having advance "releases" of what, for instance, convocation speakers are supposedly going to say but in fact have not yet said, automatically discredits the value of the largely prefabricated news. We also learn frequently of prefabricated and prevaricated events of a complex nature purportedly undertaken for purposes either of suppressing or rigging the news, which in turn perverts humanity's tactical information resources. All history becomes suspect. Probably our most polluted resource is the tactical information to which humanity spontaneously reflexes.
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The supposed location of the threshold between animate and inanimate was methodically narrowed down by experimental science until it was confined specifically within the domain of virology. Virologists have been too busy, for instance, with their DNA-RNA genetic code isolatings, to find time to see the synergetic significance to society of the fact that they have found that no physical threshold does in fact exist between animate and inanimate. The possibility of its existence vanished because the supposedly unique physical qualities of both animate and inanimate have persisted right across yesterday's supposed threshold in both directions to permeate one another's-previously perceived to be exclusive- domains. Subsequently, what was animate has become foggier and foggier, and what is inanimate clearer and clearer. All organisms consist physically and in entirety of inherently inanimate atoms. The inanimate alone is not only omnipresent but is alone experimentally demonstrable. Belated news of the elimination of this threshold must be interpreted to mean that whatever life may be, it has not been isolated and thereby identified as residual in the biological cell, as had been supposed by the false assumption that there was a separate physical phenomenoncalled animate within which life existed. No life per se has been isolated. The threshold between animate and inanimate has vanished. Those chemists who are preoccupied in synthesizing the particular atomically structured molecules identified as the prime constituents of humanly employed organisms will, even if they are chemically successful, be as remote from creating life as are automobile manufacturers from creating the human drivers of their automobiles. Only the physical connections and development complexes of distinctly "nonlife" atoms into molecules, into cells, into animals, has been and will be discovered. The genetic coding of the design controls of organic systems offers no more explanation of life than did the specifications of the designs of the telephone system's apparatus and operation explain the nature of the life that communicates weightlessly to life over the only physically ponderable telephone system. Whatever else life may be, we know it is weightless. At the moment of death, no weight is lost. All the chemicals, including the chemist's life ingredients, are present, but life has vanished. The physical is inherently entropic, giving off energy in ever more disorderly ways. The metaphysical is antientropic, methodically marshalling energy. Life is antientropic.
It is spontaneously inquisitive. It sorts out and endeavors to understand.
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Science's self-assumed responsibility has been self-limited to disclosure to society only of the separate, supposedly physical (because separately weighable) atomic component isolations data. Synergetic integrity would require the scientists to announce that in reality what had been identified heretofore as physical is entirely metaphysical-because synergetically weightless. Metaphysical has been science's designation for all weightless phenomena such as thought. But science has made no experimental finding of any phenomena that can be described as a solid, or as continuous, or as a straight surface plane, or as a straight line, or as infinite anything. We are now synergetically forced to conclude that all phenomena are metaphysical; wherefore, as many have long suspected-like it or not-life is but a dream.Science has found no up or down directions of Universe, yet scientists are personally so ill-coordinated that they all still personally and sensorially see "solids" going up or down-as, for instance, they see the Sun "going down." Sensorially disconnected from their theoretically evolved information, scientists discern no need on their part to suggest any educational reforms to correct the misconceiving that science has tolerated for half a millennium.
Society depends upon its scientists for just such educational reform guidance.
0.01f - FOREWARD, #The Phenomenon of Man, #Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, #Christianity
Has man not been adequately described already, and is he not a
tedious subject ? Is it not precisely one of the attractions of science
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appearance of thought on earth. I do not pretend to describe
them as they really were, but rather as we must picture them to
0.01 - I - Sri Aurobindos personality, his outer retirement - outside contacts after 1910 - spiritual personalities- Vibhutis and Avatars - transformtion of human personality, #Evening Talks With Sri Aurobindo, #unset, #Zen
Sri Aurobindo has explained the mystery of personality in some of his writings. Ordinarily by personality we mean something which can be described as "a pattern of being marked out by a settled combination of fixed qualities, a determined character.... In one view personality is regarded as a fixed structure of recognisable qualities expressing a power of being"; another idea regards "personality as a flux of self-expressive or sensitive and responsive being.... But flux of nature and fixity of nature" which some call character "are two aspects of being neither of which, nor indeed both together, can be a definition of personality.... But besi des this flux and this fixity there is also a third and occult element, the Person behind of whom the personality is a self-expression; the Person puts forward the personality as his role, character, persona, in the present act of his long drama of manifested existence. But the Person is larger than his personality, and it may happen that this inner largeness overflows into the surface formation; the result is a self-expression of being which can no longer be described by fixed qualities, normalities of mood, exact lineaments, or marked out by structural limits."[4]
The gospel of the Supermind which Sri Aurobindo brought to man envisages a new level of consciousness beyond Mind. When this level is attained it imposes a complete and radical reintegration of the human personality. Sri Aurobindo was not merely the exponent but the embodiment of the new, dynamic truth of the Supermind. While exploring and sounding the tremendous possibilities of human personality in his intense spiritual Sadhana, he has shown us that practically there are no limits to its expansion and ascent. It can reach in its growth what appears to man at present as a 'divine' status. It goes without saying that this attainment is not an easy task; there are conditions to be fulfilled for the transformation from the human to the divine.
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In his Essays on the Gita, Sri Aurobindo says about the Avatar: "He may, on the other hand, descend as an incarnation of divine life, the divine personality and power in its characteristic action, for a mission ostensibly social, ethical and political, as is represented in the story of Rama or Krishna; but always then this descent becomes in the soul of the race a permanent power for the inner living and the spiritual rebirth."[5]
"He comes as the divine power and love which calls men to itself, so that they may take refuge in that and no longer in the insufficiency of their human wills and the strife of their human fear, wrath and passion, and liberated from all this unquiet and suffering may live in the calm and bliss of the Divine."[6]
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It is clear that Sri Aurobindo interpreted the traditional idea of the Vibhuti and the Avatar in terms of the evolutionary possibilities of man. But more directly he has worked out the idea of the 'gnostic individual' in his masterpiece The Life Divine. He says: "A supramental gnostic individual will be a spiritual Person, but not a personality in the sense of a pattern of being marked out by a settled combination of fixed qualities, a determined character; he cannot be that since he is a conscious expression of the universal and the transcendent." describing the gnostic individual he says: "We feel ourselves in the presence of a light of consciousness, a potency, a sea of energy, can distinguish and describe its free waves of action and quality, but not fix itself; and yet there is an impression of personality, the presence of a powerful being, a strong, high or beautiful recognisable Someone, a Person, not a limited creature of Nature but a Self or Soul, a Purusha."[8]
One feels that he was describing the feeling of some of us, his disciples, with regard to him in his inimitable way.
This transformation of the human personality into the Divine perhaps even the mere connection of the human with the Divine is probably regarded as a chimera by the modern mind. To the modern mind it would appear as the apotheosis of a human personality which is against its idea of equality of men. Its difficulty is partly due to the notion that the Divine is unlimited and illimitable while a 'personality', however high and grand, seems to demand imposition, or assumption, of limitation. In this connection Sri Aurobindo said during an evening talk that no human manifestation can be illimitable and unlimited, but the manifestation in the limited should reflect the unlimited, the Transcendent Beyond.
0.01 - Letters from the Mother to Her Son, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
What you have described is pretty much the state of the whole
world: disorder, confusion, wastage and misery.
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of the earth; and always, when confusion and destruction seem
to have reached their climax, something happens and a new
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which the most dangerous forces of destruction do their work.
Even here, in this poor little nook, we have not escaped the
0.01 - Life and Yoga, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
God. Therefore we see in India that a sharp incompatibility has been created between life in the world and spiritual growth and perfection, and although the tradition and ideal of a victorious harmony between the inner attraction and the outer demand remains, it is little or else very imperfectly exemplified. In fact, when a man turns his vision and energy inward and enters on the path of Yoga, he is popularly supposed to be lost inevitably to the great stream of our collective existence and the secular effort of humanity. So strongly has the idea prevailed, so much has it been emphasised by prevalent philosophies and religions that to escape from life is now commonly considered as not only the necessary condition, but the general object of Yoga. No synthesis of Yoga can be satisfying which does not, in its aim, reunite God and Nature in a liberated and perfected human life or, in its method, not only permit but favour the harmony of our inner and outer activities and experiences in the divine consummation of both. For man is precisely that term and symbol of a higher Existence descended into the material world in which it is possible for the lower to transfigure itself and put on the nature of the higher and the higher to reveal itself in the forms of the lower. To avoid the life which is given him for the realisation of that possibility, can never be either the indispensable condition or the whole and ultimate object of his supreme endeavour or of his most powerful means of self-fulfilment. It can only be a temporary necessity under certain conditions or a specialised extreme effort imposed on the individual so as to prepare a greater general possibility for the race. The true and full object and utility of Yoga can only be accomplished when the conscious
Yoga in man becomes, like the subconscious Yoga in Nature, outwardly conterminous with life itself and we can once more, looking out both on the path and the achievement, say in a more perfect and luminous sense: "All life is Yoga."
0.02 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
of desires. If he expresses all his demands - which he
believes to be needs - he will be disillusioned. He prefers
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Yes, so long as there are desires, no true intimacy can be
established.
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he described - but is it really necessary? This is not what heals.
Healing comes not from the head but from the heart.
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indulging himself so much in the morning! He deserves
to be kicked out. And so on.
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He asked me to give a concrete example. I described
an incident in which Mother found defects in my work,
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Then the desire gets exacerbated and the request is made with a
kind of sour rage.
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It is a mental formation prompted by a desire of the vital,
which protests and rebels because it cannot be fulfilled. These
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a counter-formation is made to destroy them. Something like
this, for example: "I do not want to receive a measuring-tape.
--
Such ignorant and obstinate desires are unworthy of a child of
the Mother."
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These movements spring from desire and ignorance (X's desire
for a frame without any exact knowledge of how the frame has
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but difficult to execute. If the desire had not been there insisting
on immediate realisation, the project could have been examined
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this onslaught desperately, but still I haven't found peace.
Last night I made an effort. I made an estimate of
0.02 - The Three Steps of Nature, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Matter, which, however the too ethereally spiritual may despise it, is our foundation and the first condition of all our energies and realisations, and the Life-Energy which is our means of existence in a material body and the basis there even of our mental and spiritual activities. She has successfully achieved a certain stability of her constant material movement which is at once sufficiently steady and durable and sufficiently pliable and mutable to provide a fit dwelling-place and instrument for the progressively manifesting god in humanity. This is what is meant by the fable in the Aitareya Upanishad which tells us that the gods rejected the animal forms successively offered to them by the Divine Self and only when man was produced, cried out, "This indeed is perfectly made," and consented to enter in. She has effected also a working compromise between the inertia of matter and the active Life that lives in and feeds on it, by which not only is vital existence sustained, but the fullest developments of mentality are rendered possible. This equilibrium constitutes the basic status of Nature in man and is termed in the language of Yoga his gross body composed
The Three Steps of Nature
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of noxious activities. Their purification, not their destruction, - their transformation, control and utilisation is the aim in view with which they have been created and developed in us.
If the bodily life is what Nature has firmly evolved for us as her base and first instrument, it is our mental life that she is evolving as her immediate next aim and superior instrument. This in her ordinary exaltations is the lofty preoccupying thought in her; this, except in her periods of exhaustion and recoil into a reposeful and recuperating obscurity, is her constant pursuit wherever she can get free from the trammels of her first vital and physical realisations. For here in man we have a distinction which is of the utmost importance. He has in him not a single mentality, but a double and a triple, the mind material and nervous, the pure intellectual mind which liberates itself from the illusions of the body and the senses, and a divine mind above intellect which in its turn liberates itself from the imperfect mo des of the logically discriminative and imaginative reason. Mind in man is first emmeshed in the life of the body, where in the plant it is entirely involved and in animals always imprisoned. It accepts this life as not only the first but the whole condition of its activities and serves its needs as if they were the entire aim of existence. But the bodily life in man is a base, not the aim, his first condition and not his last determinant. In the just idea of the ancients man is essentially the thinker, the Manu, the mental being who leads the life and the body,3 not the animal who is led by them. The true human existence, therefore, only begins when the intellectual mentality emerges out of the material and we begin more and more to live in the mind independent of the nervous and physical obsession and in the measure of that liberty are able to accept rightly and rightly to use the life of the body. For freedom and not a skilful subjection is the true means of mastery. A free, not a compulsory acceptance of the conditions, the enlarged and sublimated conditions of our physical being, is the high human ideal. But beyond this intellectual mentality is the divine.
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Indeed, the increasing effort towards a more intense mental life seems to create, frequently, an increasing disequilibrium of the human elements, so that it is possible for eminent scientists to describe genius as a form of insanity, a result of degeneration, a pathological morbidity of Nature. The phenomena which are used to justify this exaggeration, when taken not separately, but in connection with all other relevant data, point to a different truth. Genius is one attempt of the universal Energy to so quicken and intensify our intellectual powers that they shall be prepared for those more puissant, direct and rapid faculties which constitute the play of the supra-intellectual or divine mind. It is not, then, a freak, an inexplicable phenomenon, but a perfectly natural next step in the right line of her evolution.
She has harmonised the bodily life with the material mind, she is harmonising it with the play of the intellectual mentality; for that, although it tends to a depression of the full animal and vital vigour, need not produce active disturbances. And she is shooting yet beyond in the attempt to reach a still higher level.
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to this conclusion that mental life, far from being a recent appearance in man, is the swift repetition in him of a previous achievement from which the Energy in the race had undergone one of her deplorable recoils. The savage is perhaps not so much the first forefa ther of civilised man as the degenerate descendant of a previous civilisation. For if the actuality of intellectual achievement is unevenly distributed, the capacity is spread everywhere. It has been seen that in individual cases even the racial type considered by us the lowest, the negro fresh from the perennial barbarism of Central Africa, is capable, without admixture of blood, without waiting for future generations, of the intellectual culture, if not yet of the intellectual accomplishment of the dominant European. Even in the mass men seem to need, in favourable circumstances, only a few generations to cover ground that ought apparently to be measured in the terms of millenniums. Either, then, man by his privilege as a mental being is exempt from the full burden of the tardy laws of evolution or else he already represents and with helpful conditions and in the right stimulating atmosphere can always display a high level of material capacity for the activities of the intellectual life.
It is not mental incapacity, but the long rejection or seclusion from opportunity and withdrawal of the awakening impulse that creates the savage. Barbarism is an intermediate sleep, not an original darkness.
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The only approximate terms in the English language have other associations and their use may lead to many and even serious inaccuracies. The terminology of Yoga recognises besi des the status of our physical and vital being, termed the gross body and doubly composed of the food sheath and the vital vehicle, besi des the status of our mental being, termed the subtle body and singly composed of the mind sheath or mental vehicle,5 a third, supreme and divine status of supra-mental being, termed the causal body and composed of a fourth and a fifth vehicle6 which are described as those of knowledge and bliss. But this knowledge is not a systematised result of mental questionings and reasonings, not a temporary arrangement of conclusions and opinions in the terms of the highest probability, but rather a pure self-existent and self-luminous Truth. And this bliss is not a supreme pleasure of the heart and sensations with the experience of pain and sorrow as its background, but a delight also selfexistent and independent of objects and particular experiences, a self-delight which is the very nature, the very stuff, as it were, of a transcendent and infinite existence.
antah.karan.a.
--
Do such psychological conceptions correspond to anything real and possible? All Yoga asserts them as its ultimate experience and supreme aim. They form the governing principles of our highest possible state of consciousness, our wi dest possible range of existence. There is, we say, a harmony of supreme faculties, corresponding roughly to the psychological faculties of revelation, inspiration and intuition, yet acting not in the intuitive reason or the divine mind, but on a still higher plane, which see Truth directly face to face, or rather live in the truth of things both universal and transcendent and are its formulation and luminous activity. And these faculties are the light of a conscious existence superseding the egoistic and itself both cosmic and transcendent, the nature of which is Bliss. These are obviously divine and, as man is at present apparently constituted, superhuman states of consciousness and activity. A trinity of transcendent existence, self-awareness and self-delight7 is, indeed, the metaphysical description of the supreme Atman, the self-formulation, to our awakened knowledge, of the Unknowable whether conceived as a pure Impersonality or as a cosmic Personality manifesting the universe. But in Yoga they are regarded also in their psychological aspects as states of subjective existence to which our waking consciousness is now alien, but which dwell in us in a superconscious plane and to which, therefore, we may always ascend.
For, as is indicated by the name, causal body (karan.a), as opposed to the two others which are instruments (karan.a), this crowning manifestation is also the source and effective power of all that in the actual evolution has preceded it. Our mental activities are, indeed, a derivation, selection and, so long as they are divided from the truth that is secretly their source, a deformation of the divine knowledge. Our sensations and emotions have the same relation to the Bliss, our vital forces and actions to the aspect of Will or Force assumed by the divine consciousness, our physical being to the pure essence of that Bliss and
--
So dazzling is even a glimpse of this supreme existence and so absorbing its attraction that, once seen, we feel readily justified in neglecting all else for its pursuit. Even, by an opposite exaggeration to that which sees all things in Mind and the mental life as an exclusive ideal, Mind comes to be regarded as an unworthy deformation and a supreme obstacle, the source of an illusory universe, a negation of the Truth and itself to be denied and all its works and results annulled if we desire the final liberation. But this is a half-truth which errs by regarding only the actual limitations of Mind and ignores its divine intention.
The ultimate knowledge is that which perceives and accepts God in the universe as well as beyond the universe; the integral Yoga is that which, having found the Transcendent, can return upon the universe and possess it, retaining the power freely to descend
The Three Steps of Nature
--
Wisdom exists at all, the faculty of Mind also must have some high use and destiny. That use must depend on its place in the ascent and in the return and that destiny must be a fulfilment and transfiguration, not a rooting out or an annulling.
We perceive, then, these three steps in Nature, a bodily life which is the basis of our existence here in the material world, a mental life into which we emerge and by which we raise the bodily to higher uses and enlarge it into a greater completeness, and a divine existence which is at once the goal of the other two and returns upon them to liberate them into their highest possibilities. Regarding none of them as either beyond our reach or below our nature and the destruction of none of them as essential to the ultimate attainment, we accept this liberation and fulfilment as part at least and a large and important part of the aim of Yoga.
0.03 - Letters to My little smile, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
For the past two days I have felt a great despair and
sadness - so much that I think if it goes on for a few
--
and despair, I had the idea of committing suicide. (Don't
be afraid, I won't commit suicide; I am only telling You
--
These suggestions of sadness, despair and suicide come from
them (the thieves of the vital world), because it is when you are
--
When the supramental forces descend into Matter in order
to manifest, this perfect beauty will express itself quite naturally
--
sent me the design of the crown with fishes. It is very, very pretty.
And if you want my opinion, I suggest that you first take up the
--
sending you the design of the crown.
With my love.
--
You have described your condition very well and since you
are so conscious of it, I feel that soon you will be able to master it.
--
it the desire to be admired by people - ego? Or is it
something else? If You know, You will let me know. I
0.03 - The Threefold Life, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
But by that very utility such men and the life they lead are condemned to be limited, irrationally conservative and earthbound. The customary routine, the customary institutions, the inherited or habitual forms of thought, - these things are the life-breath of their nostrils. They admit and jealously defend the changes compelled by the progressive mind in the past, but combat with equal zeal the changes that are being made by it in the present. For to the material man the living progressive thinker is an ideologue, dreamer or madman. The old Semites who stoned the living prophets and adored their memories when dead, were the very incarnation of this instinctive and unintelligent principle in Nature. In the ancient Indian distinction between the once born and the twice born, it is to this material man that the former description can be applied. He does Nature's inferior works; he assures the basis for her higher activities; but not to him easily are opened the glories of her second birth.
Yet he admits so much of spirituality as has been enforced on his customary ideas by the great religious outbursts of the past and he makes in his scheme of society a place, venerable though not often effective, for the priest or the learned theologian who can be trusted to provide him with a safe and ordinary spiritual pabulum. But to the man who would assert for himself the liberty of spiritual experience and the spiritual life, he assigns, if he admits him at all, not the vestment of the priest but the robe of the Sannyasin. Outside society let him exercise his dangerous freedom. So he may even serve as a human lightning-rod receiving the electricity of the Spirit and turning it away from the social edifice.
--
In India, for the last thousand years and more, the spiritual life and the material have existed side by side to the exclusion of the progressive mind. Spirituality has made terms for itself with Matter by renouncing the attempt at general progress. It has obtained from society the right of free spiritual development for all who assume some distinctive symbol, such as the garb of the Sannyasin, the recognition of that life as man's goal and those who live it as worthy of an absolute reverence, and the casting of society itself into such a religious mould that its most customary acts should be accompanied by a formal reminder of the spiritual symbolism of life and its ultimate destination. On the other hand, there was conceded to society the right of inertia and immobile self-conservation. The concession destroyed much of the value of the terms. The religious mould being fixed, the formal reminder tended to become a routine and to lose its living sense. The constant attempts to change the mould by new sects and religions ended only in a new routine or a modification of the old; for the saving element of the free and active mind had been exiled. The material life, handed over to the Ignorance, the purposeless and endless duality, became a leaden and dolorous yoke from which flight was the only escape.
The schools of Indian Yoga lent themselves to the compromise. Individual perfection or liberation was made the aim, seclusion of some kind from the ordinary activities the condition, the renunciation of life the culmination. The teacher gave his knowledge only to a small circle of disciples. Or if a wider movement was attempted, it was still the release of the individual soul that remained the aim. The pact with an immobile society was, for the most part, observed.
0.04 - The Systems of Yoga, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
But in Rajayoga it tends to withdraw into a subliminal plane at the back of our normal experiences instead of descending and possessing our whole existence.
The triple Path of devotion, knowledge and works attempts the province which Rajayoga leaves unoccupied. It differs from
0.05 - Letters to a Child, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
When you have a desire you are governed by the thing you
desire; it takes possession of your mind and your life, and you
--
because its desires and preferences are not satisfied. All that has
no true reality.
--
that gets depressed when its desires are not satisfied.
In ordinary life, one has to struggle to satisfy one's desires;
here one struggles not to do so. Actually, whatever path one
--
with outspread wings is the vehicle of Vishnu, the destroyer of
serpents. He seemed to be standing behind you to protect and
--
your destiny is. But it is you who must become aware of it
and understand it so that you can realise it. In what way do
you feel yourself going down? Are desires becoming stronger in
you? Whatever happens, you can always rely on my help; do
--
at work and is it waiting for the descent of a higher
inspiration?
0.05 - The Synthesis of the Systems, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
its own realisation. The divine and all-knowing and all-effecting descends upon the limited and obscure, progressively illumines and energises the whole lower nature and substitutes its own action for all the terms of the inferior human light and mortal activity.
In psychological fact this method translates itself into the progressive surrender of the ego with its whole field and all its apparatus to the Beyond-ego with its vast and incalculable but always inevitable workings. Certainly, this is no short cut or easy sadhana. It requires a colossal faith, an absolute courage and above all an unflinching patience. For it implies three stages of which only the last can be wholly blissful or rapid, - the attempt of the ego to enter into contact with the Divine, the wide, full and therefore laborious preparation of the whole lower Nature by the divine working to receive and become the higher Nature, and the eventual transformation. In fact, however, the divine
0.06 - INTRODUCTION, #Dark Night of the Soul, #Saint John of the Cross, #Christianity
proficient, occurring at the time when God desires to bring them to the state
of union with God. And this latter night is a more obscure and dark and
--
union. The combined description of the two nights completes the presentation of
active and passive purgation, to which the Saint limits himself in these treatises,
--
the Ascent which deal with the active purgation of the desires of sense.
In Chapter viii, St. John of the Cross begins to describe the Passive Night of
the senses, the principal aim of which is the purgation or stripping of the soul of its
--
Having described this Passive Night of Sense in Chapter viii, he explains
with great insight and discernment how it may be recognized whether any given
--
In Chapter x, the Saint describes the discipline which the soul in this Dark
Night must impose upon itself; this, as might be logically deduced from the Ascent,
--
and brings to an end what the Saint desires to say with respect to the first Passive
Night.
At only slightly greater length St. John of the Cross describes the Passive
Night of the Spirit, which is at once more afflictive and more painful than those
--
sense may and should be called a kind of correction and restraint of the desire
rather than purgation. The reason is that all the imperfections and disorders of the
--
(Chapter ii). After a brief introduction (Chapter iii), the Saint describes with some
fullness the nature of this spiritual purgation or dark contemplation referred to in
--
beyond all description; in them we seem to reach the culminating point of their
author's mystical experience; any excerpt from them would do them an injustice. It
--
Chapter ix describes how, although these purgations seem to blind the spirit,
they do so only to enlighten it again with a brighter and intenser light, which it is
--
remaining. We then embark upon the second stanza, which describes the soul's
8Dark Night, Bk. I, chap. x, 4.
--
comprise St. Bernard's mystical ladder. Chapter xxi describes the soul's 'disguise,'
from which the book passes on (Chapters xxii, xxiii) to extol the 'happy chance'
--
and prepared for the desired union with the Spouse, a union which is the subject
that the Saint proposed to treat in his commentary on the five remaining stanzas.
--
effective metaphor of night, the Saint describes the excellent properties of the
spiritual night of infused contemplation, through which the soul journeys with no
--
theological truth that grace, far from destroying nature, ennobles and dignifies it,
and of the agreement always found between the natural and the supernatural
0.06 - Letters to a Young Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
be done will be done despite all possible resistances.
Is there no means of uniting my will with Yours? Perhaps
--
is like a lair of banal thoughts and lawless desires.
One must persist without getting discouraged, and first of all
--
The whole world is against me and I am in despair.
Why do you want to think the whole world is against you? This
--
means of attaining the union you desire.
My one hope is to progress as much as I can, so that my
--
I often ask myself if there is a truth behind this desire to
come close to You.
--
this desire to come to You physically?
I have never said anything of the kind. But you must prepare
--
this supreme Grace the price it deserves.
Of each one is asked only what he has, what he is, nothing more,
--
all desires and all attractions vanish; only the ardent aspiration
for the Divine remains.
--
By "passion" we mean all the violent desires which take possession of a man and finally govern his life - the drunkard has
the passion for drink, the debauchee the passion for women,
--
You have just given a very correct description, but it becomes
useful only from the moment you resolve that it is no longer
--
proud of it and not despise it.
Why imagine always that one is ill or is going to be ill and thus
--
The vital is at once the place of desires and energies, impulses
and passions, of cowardice, but also of heroism - to bridle it is
--
This desire to live in an intellectual atmosphere -
doesn't it show that my mind can govern the vital?
--
mind, when no desire, no passion arises unless the mind thinks
it good; and if an impulse of desire, passion or violence comes
from outside, it is enough that the mind intervenes for it to be
--
Mother dearest, the vital desires will vanish as gradually
my body becomes weaker, won't they?
Certainly not; quite on the contrary, to be able to conquer the desires of the vital one must have an excellent physical equilibrium
and sound health.
--
the descriptions of complicated mechanisms.
If you don't want to learn a thing thoroughly, conscientiously
0.07 - DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL, #Dark Night of the Soul, #Saint John of the Cross, #Christianity
Exposition of the stanzas describing the method followed by the soul in its journey upon the spiritual road to the attainment of the perfect union of love with God, to the extent that is possible in this life. Likewise are described the properties belonging to the soul that has attained to the said perfection, according as they are contained in the same stanzas.
PROLOGUE
--
2. And this going forth it says here that it was able to accomplish in the strength and ardour which love for its Spouse gave to it for that purpose in the dark contemplation aforementioned. Herein it extols the great happiness which it found in journeying to God through this night with such signal success that none of the three enemies, which are world, devil and flesh (who are they that ever impede this road), could hinder it; inasmuch as the aforementioned night of purgative20 contemplation lulled to sleep and mortified, in the house of its sensuality, all the passions and desires with respect to their mischievous desires and motions. The line, then, says:
On a dark night
0.07 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
a desire that I should do so.
Yes, I like to receive the book from you. It helps to keep the
--
I do not deserve one iota of the kindness you show to
me. What shall I say to you, you whose very nature is an
--
it comes, also all vital desires and turmoils, and to keep the mind
and heart turned as constantly as possible towards the Divine.
--
compassion and solicitude and love which I do not deserve. And yet, although I feel a personal tie with you
which I expect is psychic, I still do not feel that I want
--
That which the Divine has destined for each of us - that will be.
My love and blessings to my dear child.
0.08 - Letters to a Young Captain, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Aurobindo has described and explained for us in The Synthesis
of Yoga.
--
according to its desires, which are blind, and not according to
truth.
--
For the desires are not the expression of needs but of preferences.
19 September 1959
--
very complete and detailed descriptions and explanations of all
the activities of sleep. Reading these letters is a good introduction
--
an attitude of inner good-will, with a desire to receive and live
what is taught.
--
the very recent descent of the first elements of the Supermind
into the earth's atmosphere (not yet quite four years ago) cannot
--
based on the experience of its founder. Nevertheless, despite
these divergences, there is a sort of tradition which, behind the
0.09 - Letters to a Young Teacher, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
themselves slowly, gracefully, calmly descend, without losing
anything of their elegance or beauty and, as they cross the
--
Sri Aurobindo speaks of a "central knot of desires"
which must be cut. How can one do it, where should
--
The central knot of desires is the sense of separate personality;
it is the ego. With the disappearance of the ego, the desires
disappear.
--
any ambition, pride or desire, and so long as it does not receive
the Divine command to take up the path, it waits patiently,
--
height of consciousness? Sometimes I fall despite every
effort and aspiration.
01.01 - A Yoga of the Art of Life, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
As regards the possibility of such a consummation,Sri Aurobindo says it is not a possibility but an inevitabilityone must remember that the force that will bring about the result and is already at work is not any individual human power, however great it may be, but the Divine himself, it is the Divine's own Shakti that is labouring for the destined end.
Here is the very heart of the mystery, the master-key to the problem. The advent of the superhuman or divine race, however stupendous or miraculous the phenomenon may appear to be, can become a thing of practical actuality, precisely because it is no human agency that has undertaken it but the Divine himself in his supreme potency and wisdom and love. The descent of the Divine into the ordinary human nature in order to purify and transform it and be lodged there is the whole secret of the sadhana in Sri Aurobindo's Yoga. The sadhaka has only to be quiet and silent, calmly aspiring, open and acquiescent and receptive to the one Force; he need not and should not try to do things by his independent personal effort, but get them done or let them be done for him in the dedicated consciousness by the Divine Master and Guide. All other Yogas or spiritual disciplines in the past envisaged an ascent of the consciousness, its sublimation into the consciousness of the Spirit and its fusion and dissolution there in the end. The descent of the Divine Consciousness to prepare its definitive home in the dynamic and pragmatic human nature, if considered at all, was not the main theme of the past efforts and achievements. Furthermore, the descent spoken of here is the descent, not of a divine consciousness for there are many varieties of divine consciousness but of the Divine's own consciousness, of the Divine himself with his Shakti. For it is that that is directly working out this evolutionary transformation of the age.
It is not my purpose here to enter into details as to the exact meaning of the descent, how it happens and what are its lines of activity and the results brought about. For it is indeed an actual descent that happens: the Divine Light leans down first into the mind and begins its purificatory work therealthough it is always the inner heart which first recognises the Divine Presence and gives its assent to the Divine action for the mind, the higher mind that is to say, is the summit of the ordinary human consciousness and receives more easily and readily the Radiances that descend. From the Mind the Light filters into the denser regions of the emotions and desires, of life activity and vital dynamism; finally, it gets into brute Matter itself, the hard and obscure rock of the physical body, for that too has to be illumined and made the very form and figure of the Light supernal. The Divine in his descending Grace is the Master-Architect who is building slowly and surely the many-chambered and many-storeyed edifice that is human nature and human life into the mould of the Divine Truth in its perfect play and supreme expression. But this is a matter which can be closely considered when one is already well within the mystery of the path and has acquired the elementary essentials of an initiate.
Another question that troubles and perplexes the ordinary human mind is as to the time when the thing will be done. Is it now or a millennium hence or at some astronomical distance in future, like the cooling of the sun, as someone has suggested for an analogy. In view of the magnitude of the work one might with reason say that the whole eternity is there before us, and a century or even a millennium should not be grudged to such a labour for it is nothing less than an undoing of untold millenniums in the past and the building of a far-flung futurity. However, as we have said, since it is the Divine's own work and since Yoga means a concentrated and involved process of action, effectuating in a minute what would perhaps take years to accomplish in the natural course, one can expect the work to be done sooner rather than later. Indeed, the ideal is one of here and nowhere upon this earth of material existence and now in this life, in this very bodynot hereafter or elsewhere. How long exactly that will mean, depends on many factors, but a few deca des on this side or the other do not matter very much.
01.01 - The New Humanity, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The New Humanity will be something in the mould that we give to the gods. It will supply the link that we see missing between gods and men; it will be the race of embodied gods. Man will attain that thing which has been his first desire and earliest dream, for which he coveted the gods Immortality, amritatwam. The mortalities that cut and divide, limit and bind man make him the sorrowful being he is. These are due to his ignorance and weakness and egoism. These are due to his soul itself. It is the soul that requires change, a new birth, as Christ demanded. Ours is a little soul that has severed itself from the larger and mightier self that it is. And therefore does it die every moment and even while living is afraid to live and so lives poorly and miserably. But the age is now upon us when the god-like soul anointed with its immortal royalties is ready to emerge and claim our salutation.
The breath and the surge of the new creation cannot be mistaken. The question that confronts us today is no longer whether the New Man, the Super-humanity, will come or if at all, when; but the question we have to answer is who among us are ready to be its receptacle, its instrument and embodiment.
01.01 - The One Thing Needful, #The Integral Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
It is the lesson of life that always in this world everything fails a man - only the Divine does not fail him, if he turns entirely towards the Divine. It is not because there is something bad in you that blows fall on you - blows fall on all human beings because they are full of desire for things that cannot last and they lose them or, even if they get, it brings disappointment and cannot satisfy them. To turn to the Divine is the only truth in life.
To find the Divine is indeed the first reason for seeking the spiritual Truth and the spiritual life; it is the one thing indispensable and all the resit is nothing without it. The Divine once found, to manifest Him, - that is, first of all to transform one's own limited consciousness into the Divine Consciousness, to live in the infinite Peace, Light, Love, Strength, Bliss, to become that in one's essential nature and, as a consequence, to be its vessel, channel, instrument in one's active nature. To bring into activity the principle of oneness on the material plane or to work for humanity is a mental mistranslation of the Truth - these things cannot be the first true object of spiritual seeking. We must find the Self, the Divine, then only can we know what is the work the Self or the Divine demands from us. Until then our life and action can only be a help or a means towards finding the Divine and it ought not to have any other purpose. As we grow in inner consciousness, or as the spiritual Truth of the Divine grows in us, our life and action must indeed more and more flow from that, be one with that. But to decide beforeh and by our limited mental conceptions what they must be is to hamper the growth of the spiritual Truth within. As that grows we shall feel the Divine Light and Truth, the Divine Power and Force, the Divine Purity and Peace working within us, dealing with our actions as well as our consciousness, making use of them to reshape us into the Divine Image, removing the dross, substituting the pure Gold of the Spirit. Only when the Divine Presence is there in us always and the consciousness transformed, can we have the right to say that we are ready to manifest the Divine on the material plane. To hold up a mental ideal or principle and impose that on the inner working brings the danger of limiting ourselves to a mental realisation or of impeding or even falsifying by a halfway formation the truth growth into the full communion and union with the Divine and the free and intimate outflowing of His will in our life. This is a mistake of orientation to which the mind of today is especially prone. It is far better to approach the Divine for the Peace or Light or Bliss that the realisation of Him gives than to bring in these minor things which can divert us from the one thing needful. The divinisation of the material life also as well as the inner life is part of what we see as the Divine Plan, but it can only be fulfilled by an ourflowing of the inner realisation, something that grows from within outwards, not by the working out of a mental principle.
The realisation of the Divine is the one thing needful and the rest is desirable only in so far as it helps or leads towards that or when it is realised, extends and manifests the realisation. Manifestation and organisation of the whole life for the divine work, - first, the sadhana personal and collective necessary for the realisation and a common life of God-realised men, secondly, for help to the world to move towards that, and to live in the Light - is the whole meaning and purpose of my Yoga. But the realisation is the first need and it is that round which all the rest moves, for apart from it all the rest would have no meaning.
Yoga is directed towards God, not towards man. If a divine supramental consciousness and power can be brought down and established in the material world, that obviously would mean an immense change for the earth including humanity and its life. But the effect on humanity would only be one result of the change; it cannot be the object of the sadhana. The object of the sadhana can only be to live in the divine consciousness and to manifest it in life.
01.01 - The Symbol Dawn, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
And only meets the corpse of his desire.
1.10
--
An unshaped consciousness desired light
And a blank prescience yearned towards distant change.
--
Like a vague smile tempting a desert heart
Troubled the far rim of life's obscure sleep.
--
To seek for a spirit sole and desolate
Too fallen to recollect forgotten bliss.
--
And all that was destroyed must be rebuilt
And old experience laboured out once more.
--
Its fluttering-hued illusion of desire,
Visited her heart like a sweet alien note.
--
Thus trapped in the gin of earthly destinies,
Awaiting her ordeal's hour abode,
--
Even in this moment of her soul's despair,
In its grim rendezvous with death and fear,
--
The sacrifice of suffering and desire
Earth offers to the immortal Ecstasy
01.02 - Natures Own Yoga, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The first contact that one has with this static supra-reality is through the higher ranges of the mind: a direct and closer communion is established through a plane which is just above the mind the Overmind, as Sri Aurobindo calls it. The Overmind dissolves or transcends the ego-consciousness which limits the being to its individualised formation bounded by an outward and narrow frame or sheath of mind, life and body; it reveals the universal Self and Spirit, the cosmic godhead and its myriad forces throwing up myriad forms; the world-existence there appears as a play of ever-shifting veils upon the face of one ineffable reality, as a mysterious cycle of perpetual creation and destructionit is the overwhelming vision given by Sri Krishna to Arjuna in the Gita. At the same time, the initial and most intense experience which this cosmic consciousness brings is the extreme relativity, contingency and transitoriness of the whole flux, and a necessity seems logically and psychologically imperative to escape into the abiding substratum, the ineffable Absoluteness.
This has been the highest consummation, the supreme goal which the purest spiritual experience and the deepest aspiration of the human consciousness generally sought to attain. But in this view, the world or creation or Nature came in the end to be looked upon as fundamentally a product of Ignorance: ignorance and suffering and incapacity and death were declared to be the very hallmark of things terrestrial. The Light that dwells above and beyond can be made to shed for a while some kind of lustre upon the mortal darkness but never altogether to remove or change itto live in the full light, to be in and of the Light means to pass beyond. Not that there have not been other strands and types of spiritual experiences and aspirations, but the one we are considering has always struck the major chord and dominated and drowned all the rest.
--
In the Supermind things exist in their perfect spiritual reality; each is consciously the divine reality in its transcendent essence, its cosmic extension, its, spiritual individuality; the diversity of a manifested existence is there, but the mutually exclusive separativeness has not yet arisen. The ego, the knot of separativity, appears at a later and lower stage of involution; what is here is indivisible nexus of individualising centres of the one eternal truth of being. Where Supermind and Overmind meet, one can see the multiple godheads, each distinct in his own truth and beauty and power and yet all together forming the one supreme consciousness infinitely composite and inalienably integral. But stepping back into Supermind one sees something moreOneness gathering into itself all diversity, not destroying it, but annulling and forbidding the separative consciousness that is the beginning of Ignorance. The first shadow of the Illusory Consciousness, the initial possibility of the movement of Ignorance comes in when the supramental light enters the penumbra of the mental sphere. The movement of Supermind is the movement of light without obscurity, straight, unwavering, unswerving, absolute. The Force here contains and holds in their oneness of Reality the manifold but not separated lines of essential and unalloyed truth: its march is the inevitable progression of each one assured truth entering into and upholding every other and therefore its creation, play or action admits of no trial or stumble or groping or deviation; for each truth rests on all others and on that which harmonises them all and does not act as a Power diverging from and even competing with other Powers of being. In the Overmind commences the play of divergent possibilities the simple, direct, united and absolute certainties of the supramental consciousness retire, as it were, a step behind and begin to work themselves out through the interaction first of separately individualised and then of contrary and contradictory forces. In the Overmind there is a conscious underlying Unity but yet each Power, Truth, Aspect of that Unity is encouraged to work out its possibilities as if it were sufficient to itself and the others are used by it for its own enhancement until in the denser and darker reaches below Overmind this turns out a thing of blind conflict and battle and, as it would appear, of chance survival. Creation or manifestation originally means the concretisation or devolution of the powers of Conscious Being into a play of united diversity; but on the line which ends in Matter it enters into more and more obscure forms and forces and finally the virtual eclipse of the supreme light of the Divine Consciousness. Creation as it descends' towards the Ignorance becomes an involution of the Spirit through Mind and Life into Matter; evolution is a movement backward, a return journey from Matter towards the Spirit: it is the unravelling, the gradual disclosure and deliverance of the Spirit, the ascension and revelation of the involved consciousness through a series of awakeningsMatter awakening into Life, Life awakening into Mind and Mind now seeking to awaken into something beyond the Mind, into a power of conscious Spirit.
The apparent or actual result of the movement of Nescienceof Involutionhas been an increasing negation of the Spirit, but its hidden purpose is ultimately to embody the Spirit in Matter, to express here below in cosmic Time-Space the splendours of the timeless Reality. The material body came into existence bringing with it inevitably, as it seemed, mortality; it appeared even to be fashioned out of mortality, in order that in this very frame and field of mortality, Immortality, the eternal Spirit Consciousness which is the secret truth and reality in Time itself as well as behind it, might be established and that the Divine might be possessed, or rather, possess itself not in one unvarying mode of the static consciousness, as it does even now behind the cosmic play, but in the play itself and in the multiple mode of the terrestrial existence.
--
The soul or the true being in man uplifted in the supramental consciousness and at the same time coming forward to possess a divinised mind and life and body as an instrument and channel of its self-expression and an embodiment of the Divine Will and Purposesuch is the goal that Nature is seeking to realise at present through her evolutionary lan. It is to this labour that man has been called so that in and through him the destined transcendence and transformation can take place.
It is not easy, however, nor is it necessary for the moment to envisage in detail what this divinised man would be like, externallyhis mode of outward being and living, kimsita vrajeta kim, as Arjuna queriedor how the collective life of the new humanity would function or what would be the composition of its social fabric. For what is happening is a living process, an organic growth; it is being elaborated through the actions and reactions of multitudinous forces and conditions, known and unknown; the precise configuration of the final outcome cannot be predicted with exactitude. But the Power that is at work is omniscient; it is selecting, rejecting, correcting, fashioning, creating, co-ordinating elements in accordance with and by the drive of the inviolable law of Truth and Harmony that reigns in Light's own homeswe dame the Supermind.
01.02 - Sri Aurobindo - Ahana and Other Poems, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Every word deserves a kiss.12
And yet, I should say, in all this it is not mere the human that is of supreme interest, but something which even in being human yet transcends it.
--
river descending
Shudders below into sunless depths, along chasms
--
James H. Cousins in his New Ways in English Literature describes Sri Aurobindo as "the philosopher as poet."
Sri Aurobindo: "Who".
01.02 - The Creative Soul, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Let each take cognisance of the godhead that is within him for self is Godand in the strength of the soul-divinity create his universe. It does not matter what sort of universe he- creates, so long as he creates it. The world created by a Buddha is not the same as that created by a Napoleon, nor should they be the same. It does not prove anything that I cannot become a Kalidasa; for that matter Kalidasa cannot become what I am. If you have not the genius of a Shankara it does not mean that you have no genius at all. Be and become yourselfma gridhah kasyachit dhanam, says the Upanishad. The fountain-head of creative genius lies there, in the free choice and the particular delight the self-determination of the spirit within you and not in the desire for your neighbours riches. The world has become dull and uniform and mechanical, since everybody endeavours to become not himself, but always somebody else. Imitation is servitude and servitude brings in grief.
In one's own soul lies the very height and profundity of a god-head. Each soul by bringing out the note that is his, makes for the most wondrous symphony. Once a man knows what he is and holds fast to it, refusing to be drawn away by any necessity or temptation, he begins to uncover himself, to do what his inmost nature demands and takes joy in, that is to say, begins to create. Indeed there may be much difference in the forms that different souls take. But because each is itself, therefore each is grounded upon the fundamental equality of things. All our valuations are in reference to some standard or other set up with a particular end in view, but that is a question of the practical world which in no way takes away from the intrinsic value of the greatness of the soul. So long as the thing is there, the how of it does not matter. Infinite are the ways of manifestation and all of them the very highest and the most sublime, provided they are a manifestation of the soul itself, provided they rise and flow from the same level. Whether it is Agni or Indra, Varuna, Mitra or the Aswins, it is the same supreme and divine inflatus.
01.02 - The Issue, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Her will must cancel her body's destiny.
3.8
--
Immured her destiny's secluded scene.
3.22
--
Repeating the marvel of the first descent,
Changing to rapture the dull earthly round,
--
Was her soul's issue thrown with destiny's dice.
4.15
--
Or a castaway on the ocean of desire
Flung to the eddies in a ruthless sport
--
Or one more pawn who comes destined to be pushed
One slow move forward on a measureless board
--
Baring her helpless heart to destiny's stroke.
4.27
--
Or quench with black despair the God-given light.
4.30
--
Or yield her high destiny up to passing Chance.
4.33
01.02 - The Object of the Integral Yoga, #The Integral Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Matter. Our object is not to remove all "limitations" on the expansion of the ego or to give a free field and make unlimited room for the fulfilment of the ideas of the human mind or the desires of the ego-centred life-force. None of us are here to "do as we like", or to create a world in which we shall at last be able to do as we like; we are here to do what the Divine wills and to create a world in which the Divine Will can manifest its truth no longer deformed by human ignorance or perverted and mistranslated by vital desire. The work which the sadhak of the supramental Yoga has to do is not his own work for which he can lay down his own conditions, but the work of the Divine which he has to do according to the conditions laid down by the Divine. Our Yoga is not for our own sake but for the sake of the Divine. It is not our own personal manifestation that we are to seek, the manifestation of the individual ego freed from all bounds and from all bonds, but the manifestation of the Divine. Of that manifestation our own spiritual liberation, perfection, fullness is to be a result and a part, but not in any egoistic sense or for any ego-centred or self-seeking purpose.
This liberation, perfection, fullness too must not be pursued for our own sake, but for the sake of the Divine.
01.03 - Mystic Poetry, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
White for Thy whiteness all desires burn.
Ah, with what longing once again I turn!2
--
or when Mallarm describes the laurel flower:
Vermeil comme Iepur orteil du sraphin
Que rougit la pudeur des aurores foules, 5
both so idealise, etherealize, almost spiritualise the earth and the flesh that they seem ostensibly only a vesture of something else behind, something mysterious and other-worldly, something other than, even just opposite to what they actually are or appear to be. That is the mystique of the senses which is a very characteristic feature of some of the best poetic inspirations of France. Baudelaire too, the Satanic poet, by the sheer intensity of sympathy and sincerity, pierces as it were into the soul of things and makes the ugly, the unclean, the diseased, the sordid throb and glow with an almost celestial light. Here is the Baudelairean manner:
--
Qu'ils sont, itsant desyeuxperantscommeunevrille,
Luisantcommecestrous o I'eau dart dans la nuit;
--
This is spiritual matter and spiritual manner that can never be improved upon. This is spiritual poetry in its quintessence. I am referring naturally here to the original and not to the translation which can never do full justice, even at its very best, to the poetic value in question. For apart from the individual genius of the poet, the greatness of the language, the instrument used by the poet, is also involved. It may well be what is comparatively easy and natural in the language of the gods (devabhasha) would mean a tour de force, if not altogether an impossibility, in a human language. The Sanskrit language was moulded and fashioned in the hands of the Rishis, that is to say, those who lived and moved and had their being in the spiritual consciousness. The Hebrew or even the Zend does not seem to have reached that peak, that absoluteness of the spiritual tone which seems inherent in the Indian tongue, although those too breathed and grew in a spiritual atmosphere. The later languages, however, Greek or Latin or their modern descendants, have gone still farther from the source, they are much nearer to the earth and are suffused with the smell and effluvia of this vale of tears.
Among the ancients, strictly speaking, the later classical Lucretius was a remarkable phenomenon. By nature he was a poet, but his mental interest lay in metaphysical speculation, in philosophy, and unpoetical business. He turned away from arms and heroes, wrath and love and, like Seneca and Aurelius, gave himself up to moralising and philosophising, delving 'into the mystery, the why and the how and the whither of it all. He chose a dangerous subject for his poetic inspiration and yet it cannot be said that his attempt was a failure. Lucretius was not a religious or spiritual poet; he was rather Marxian,atheistic, materialistic. The dialectical materialism of today could find in him a lot of nourishment and support. But whatever the content, the manner has made a whole difference. There was an idealism, a clarity of vision and an intensity of perception, which however scientific apparently, gave his creation a note, an accent, an atmosphere high, tense, aloof, ascetic, at times bordering on the supra-sensual. It was a high light, a force of consciousness that at its highest pitch had the ring and vibration of something almost spiritual. For the basic principle of Lucretius' inspiration is a large thought-force, a tense perception, a taut nervous reactionit is not, of course, the identity in being with the inner realities which is the hallmark of a spiritual consciousness, yet it is something on the way towards that.
--
Here we have a pattern of thought-movement that does not seem to follow the lineaments of the normal brain-mind consciousness, although it too has a basis there: our customary line of reasoning receives a sudden shock, as it were, and then is shaken, moved, lifted up, transportedgradually or suddenly, according to the temperament of the listener. Besi des, we have here the peculiar modern tone, which, for want of a better term, may be described as scientific. The impressimprimaturof Science is its rational coherence, justifying or justified by sense data, by physical experience, which gives us the pattern or model of an inexorable natural law. Here too we feel we are in the domain of such natural law but lifted on to a higher level.
This is what I was trying to make out as the distinguishing trait of the real spiritual consciousness that seems to be developing in the poetic creation of tomorrow, e.g., it has the same rationality, clarity, concreteness of perception as the scientific spirit has in its own domain and still it is rounded off with a halo of magic and miracle. That is the nature of the logic of the infinite proper to the spiritual consciousness. We can have a Science of the Spirit as well as a Science of Matter. This is the Thought element or what corresponds to it, of which I was speaking, the philosophical factor, that which gives form to the formless or definition to that which is vague, a nearness and familiarity to that which is far and alien. The fullness of the spiritual consciousness means such a thing, the presentation of a divine name and form. And this distinguishes it from the mystic consciousness which is not the supreme solar consciousness but the nearest approach to it. Or, perhaps, the mystic dwells in the domain of the Divine, he may even be suffused with a sense of unity but would not like to acquire the Divine's nature and function. Normally and generally he embodies all the aspiration and yearning moved by intimations and suggestions belonging to the human mentality, the divine urge retaining still the human flavour. We can say also, using a Vedantic terminology, that the mystic consciousness gives us the tatastha lakshana, the nearest approximative attribute of the attri buteless; or otherwise, it is the hiranyagarbha consciousness which englobes the multiple play, the coruscated possibilities of the Reality: while the spiritual proper may be considered as prajghana, the solid mass, the essential lineaments of revelatory knowledge, the typal "wave-particles" of the Reality. In the former there is a play of imagination, even of fancy, a decorative aesthesis, while in the latter it is vision pure and simple. If the spiritual poetry is solar in its nature, we can say, by extending the analogy, that mystic poetry is characteristically lunarMoon representing the delight and the magic that Mind and mental imagination, suffused, no doubt, with a light or a reflection of some light from beyond, is capable of (the Upanishad speaks of the Moon being born of the Mind).
--
Poetry, actually however, has been, by and large, a profane and mundane affair: for it expresses the normal man's perceptions and feelings and experiences, human loves and hates and desires and ambitions. True. And yet there has also always been an attempt, a tendency to deal with them in such a way as can bring calm and puritykatharsisnot trouble and confusion. That has been the purpose of all Art from the ancient days. Besi des, there has been a growth and development in the historic process of this katharsis. As by the sublimation of his bodily and vital instincts and impulses., man is gradually growing into the mental, moral and finally spiritual consciousness, even so the artistic expression of his creative activity has followed a similar line of transformation. The first and original transformation happened with religious poetry. The religious, one may say, is the profane inside out; that is to say, the religious man has almost the same tone and temper, the same urges and passions, only turned Godward. Religious poetry too marks a new turn and development of human speech, in taking the name of God human tongue acquires a new plasticity and flavour that transform or give a new modulation even to things profane and mundane it speaks of. Religious means at bottom the colouring of mental and moral idealism. A parallel process of katharsis is found in another class of poetic creation, viz., the allegory. Allegory or parable is the stage when the higher and inner realities are expressed wholly in the mo des and manner, in the form and character of the normal and external, when moral, religious or spiritual truths are expressed in the terms and figures of the profane life. The higher or the inner ideal is like a loose clothing upon the ordinary consciousness, it does not fit closely or fuse. In the religious, however, the first step is taken for a mingling and fusion. The mystic is the beginning of a real fusion and a considerable ascension of the lower into the higher. The philosopher poet follows another line for the same katharsisinstead of uplifting emotions and sensibility, he proceeds by thought-power, by the ideas and principles that lie behind all movements and give a pattern to all things existing. The mystic can be of either type, the religious mystic or the philosopher mystic, although often the two are welded together and cannot be very well separated. Let us illustrate a little:
The spacious firmament on high,
--
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
01.03 - Sri Aurobindo and his School, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
European science is conquering Nature in a way. It has attained to a certain kind and measure, in some fields a great measure, of control and conquest; but however great or striking it may be in its own province, it does not touch man in his more intimate reality and does not bring about any true change in his destiny or his being. For the most vital part of nature is the region of the life-forces, the powers of disease and age and death, of strife and greed and lustall the instincts of the brute in man, all the dark aboriginal forces, the forces of ignorance that form the very groundwork of man's nature and his society. And then, as we rise next to the world of the mind, we find a twilight region where falsehood masquera des as truth, where prejudices move as realities, where notions rule as ideals.
This is the present nature of man, with its threefold nexus of mind and life and body, that stands there to be fought and conquered. This is the inferior nature, of which the ancients spoke, that holds man down inexorably to a lower dharma, imperfect mode of life the life that is and has been the human order till today. No amount of ceaseless action, however selflessly done, can move this wheel of Nature even by a hair's breadth away from the path that it has carved out from of old. Human nature and human society have been built up and are run by the forces of this inferior nature, and whatever shuffling and reshuffling we may make in its apparent factors and elements, the general scheme and fundamental form of life will never change. To displace earth (and to conquer nature means nothing less than that) and give it another orbit, one must find a fulcrum outside earth.
01.03 - The Yoga of the King - The Yoga of the Souls Release, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
A world's desire compelled her mortal birth.
One in the front of the immemorial quest,
--
And murmurings of desire that cannot die:
A cry came of the world's delight to be,
--
Ploughed by the seeking of the world's desire,
The long regurgitations of Time's flood,
--
The tragedy that destroys long happiness,
The weeping of Love, the quarrel of the Gods,
--
Follow in the shadow of the spirit's descent;
The twin duality for ever one
--
The balance of the world's design grew clear,
Its symmetry of self-arranged effects
--
The seed of the Spirit's blind and huge desire
From which the tree of cosmos was conceived
--
The original desire born in the Void
Peered out; he saw the hope that never sleeps,
--
Hoarded from touch and view and thought's desire,
Locked in blind antres of the ignorant flood,
--
The days were travellers on a destined road,
The nights companions of his musing spirit.
--
Forms he descried our mortal eyes see not.
His wide eyes bodied viewless entities,
01.03 - Yoga and the Ordinary Life, #The Integral Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
In the Yoga practised here the aim is to rise to a higher consciousness and to live out of the higher consciousness alone, not with the ordinary motives. This means a change of life as well as a change of consciousness. But all are not so circumstanced that they can cut loose from the ordinary life; they accept it therefore as a field of experience and self-training in the earlier stages of the sadhana. But they must take care to look at it as a field of experience only and to get free from the ordinary desires, attachments and ideas which usually go with it; otherwise it becomes a drag and hindrance on their sadhana. When one is not compelled by circumstances there is no necessity to continue the ordinary life.
It is not helpful to abandon the ordinary life before the being is ready for the full spiritual life. To do so means to precipitate a struggle between the different elements and exasperate it to a point of intensity which the nature is not ready to bear. The vital elements in you have partly to be met by the discipline and experience of life, while keeping the spiritual aim in view and trying to govern life by it progressively in the spirit of Karmayoga.
--
I may say briefly that there are two states of consciousness in either of which one can live. One is a higher consciousness which stands above the play of life and governs it; this is variously called the Self, the Spirit or the Divine. The other is the normal consciousness in which men live; it is something quite superficial, an instrument of the Spirit for the play of life. Those who live and act in the normal consciousness are governed entirely by the common movements of the mind and are naturally subject to grief and joy and anxiety and desire or to everything else that makes up the ordinary stuff of life.
Mental quiet and happiness they can get, but it can never be permanent or secure. But the spiritual consciousness is all light, peace, power and bliss. If one can live entirely in it, there is no question; these things become naturally and securely his.
--
The spiritual life (adhyatma jvana), the religious life (dharma jvana) and the ordinary human life of which morality is a part are three quite different things and one must know which one desires and not confuse the three together. The ordinary life is that of the average human consciousness separated from its own true self and from the Divine and led by the common habits of the mind, life and body which are the laws of the Ignorance.
The religious life is a movement of the same ignorant human consciousness, turning or trying to turn away from the earth towards the Divine but as yet without knowledge and led by the dogmatic tenets and rules of some sect or creed which claims to have found the way out of the bonds of the earth-consciousness into some beatific Beyond. The religious life may be the first approach to the spiritual, but very often it is only a turning about in a round of rites, ceremonies and practices or set ideas and forms without any issue. The spiritual life, on the contrary, proceeds directly by a change of consciousness, a change from the ordinary consciousness, ignorant and separated from its true self and from God, to a greater consciousness in which one finds one's true being and comes first into direct and living contact and then into union with the Divine. For the spiritual seeker this change of consciousness is the one thing he seeks and nothing else matters.
01.04 - Motives for Seeking the Divine, #The Integral Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
What your reasoning ignores is that which is absolute or tends towards the absolute in man and his seeking as well as in the Divine - something not to be explained by mental reasoning or vital motive. A motive, but a motive of the soul, not of vital desire; a reason not of the mind, but of the self and spirit. An asking too, but the asking that is the soul's inherent aspiration, not a vital longing. That is what comes up when there is the sheer self-giving, when "I seek you for this, I seek you for that" changes to a sheer "I seek you for you." It is that marvellous and ineffable absolute in the Divine that Krishnaprem means when he says, "Not knowledge nor this nor that, but Krishna."
The pull of that is indeed a categorical imperative, the self in us drawn to the Divine because of the imperative call of its greater Self, the soul ineffably drawn towards the object of its adoration, because it cannot be otherwise, because it is it and
01.04 - Sri Aurobindos Gita, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The supreme secret of the Gita, rahasyam uttamam, has presented itself to diverse minds in diverse forms. All these however fall, roughly speaking, into two broad groups of which one may be termed the orthodox school and the other the modem school. The orthodox school as represented, for example, by Shankara or Sridhara, viewed the Gita in the light of the spiritual discipline more or less current in those ages, when the purpose of life was held out to be emancipation from life, whether through desireless work or knowledge or devotion or even a combination of the three. The Modern School, on the other hand, represented by Bankim in Bengal and more thoroughly developed and systematised in recent times by Tilak, is inspired by its own Time-Spirit and finds in the Gita a gospel of life-fulfilment. The older interpretation laid stress upon a spiritual and religious, which meant therefore in the end an other-worldly discipline; the newer interpretation seeks to dynamise the more or less quietistic spirituality which held the ground in India of later ages, to set a premium upon action, upon duty that is to be done in our workaday life, though with a spiritual intent and motive.
This neo-spirituality which might claim its sanction and authority from the real old-world Indian disciplinesay, of Janaka and Yajnavalkyalabours, however, in reality, under the influence of European activism and ethicism. It was this which served as the immediate incentive to our spiritual revival and revaluation and its impress has not been thoroughly obliterated even in the best of our modern exponents. The bias of the vital urge and of the moral imperative is apparent enough in the modernist conception of a dynamic spirituality. Fundamentally the dynamism is made to reside in the lan of the ethical man,the spiritual element, as a consciousness of supreme unity in the Absolute (Brahman) or of love and delight in God, serving only as an atmosphere for the mortal activity.
--
The Supreme Spirit, Purushottama, who holds in himself the dual reality of Brahman and the world, is the master of action who acts but in actionlessness, the Lord in whom and through whom the universes and their creatures live and move and have their being. Karmayoga is union in mind and soul and body with the Lord of action in the execution of his cosmic purpose. And this union is effected through a transformation of the human nature, through the revelation of the Divine Prakriti and its descent upon and possession of the inferior human vehicle.
Arrived so far, we now find, if we look back, a change in the whole perspective. Karma and even Karmayoga, which hitherto seemed to be the pivot of the Gita's teaching, retire somewhat into the background and present a diminished stature and value. The centre of gravity has shifted to the conception of the Divine Nature, to the Lord's own status, to the consciousness above the three Gunas, to absolute consecration of each limb of man's humanity to the Supreme Purusha for his descent and incarnation and play in and upon this human world.
The higher secret of the Gita lies really in the later chapters, the earlier chapters being a preparation and passage to it orpartial and practical application. This has to be pointed out, since there is a notion current which seeks to limit the Gita's effective teaching to the earlier part, neglecting or even discarding the later portion.
01.04 - The Intuition of the Age, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Now, in order to understand the new orientation of the spirit of the present age, we may profitably ask what was the inspiration of the past age, the characteristic note which has failed to satisfy us and which we are endeavouring to transform. We know that that age was the Scientific age or the age of Reason. Its great prophets were Voltaire and the Encyclopaedists or if you mount further up in time, we may begin from Bacon and the humanists. Its motto was first, "The proper study of mankind is man" and secondly, Reason is the supreme organon of knowledge, the highest deity in manla desse Raison. And it is precisely against these two basic principles that the new age has entered its protest. In face of Humanism, Nietzsche has posited the Superman and in face of Reason Bergson has posited Intuition.
The worship of man as something essentially and exclusively human necessitates as a corollary, the other doctrine, viz the deification of Reason; and vice versa. Humanism and Scientism go together and the whole spirit and mentality of the age that is passing may be summed up in those two words. So Nietzsche says, "All our modern world is captured in the net of the Alexandrine culture and has, for its ideal, the theoretical man, armed with the most powerful instruments of knowledge, toiling in the service of science and whose prototype and original ancestor is Socrates." Indeed, it may be generally asserted that the nation whose prophet and sage claimed to have brought down Philosophia from heaven to dwell upon earth among men was precisely the nation, endowed with a clear and logical intellect, that was the very embodiment of rationality and reasonableness. As a matter of fact, it would not be far, wrong to say that it is the Hellenic culture which has been moulding humanity for ages; at least, it is this which has been the predominating factor, the vital and dynamic element in man's nature. Greece when it died was reborn in Rome; Rome, in its return, found new life in France; and France means Europe. What Europe has been and still is for the world and humanity one knows only too much. And yet, the Hellenic genius has not been the sole motive power and constituent element; there has been another leaven which worked constantly within, if intermittently without. If Europe represented mind and man and this side of existence, Asia always reflected that which transcends the mind the spirit, the Gods and the Beyonds.
01.04 - The Poetry in the Making, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
When we say one is conscious, we usually mean that one is conscious with the mental consciousness, with the rational intelligence, with the light of the brain. But this need not be always so. For one can be conscious with other forms of consciousness or in other planes of consciousness. In the average or normal man the consciousness is linked to or identified with the brain function, the rational intelligence and so we conclude that without this wakeful brain activity there can be no consciousness. But the fact is otherwise. The experiences of the mystic prove the point. The mystic is conscious on a level which we describe as higher than the mind and reason, he has what may be called the overhead consciousness. (Apart from the normal consciousness, which is named jagrat, waking, the Upanishad speaks of three other increasingly subtler states of consciousness, swapna, sushupti and turiya.)And then one can be quite unconscious, as in samadhi that can be sushupti or turiyaorpartially consciousin swapna, for example, the external behaviour may be like that of a child or a lunatic or even a goblin. One can also remain normally conscious and still be in the superconscience. Not only so, the mystic the Yogican be conscious on infraconscious levels also; that is to say, he can enter into and identify with the consciousness involved in life and even in Matter; he can feel and realise his oneness with the animal world, the plant world and finally the world of dead earth, of "stocks and stones" too. For all these strands of existence have each its own type of consciousness and all different from the mode of mind which is normally known as consciousness. When St. Francis addresses himself to the brother Sun or the sister Moon, or when the Upanishad speaks of the tree silhouetted against the sky, as if stilled in trance, we feel there is something of this fusion and identification of consciousness with an infra-conscient existence.
I said that the supreme artist is superconscious: his consciousness withdraws from the normal mental consciousness and becomes awake and alive in another order of consciousness. To that superior consciousness the artist's mentalityhis ideas and dispositions, his judgments and valuations and acquisitions, in other words, his normal psychological make-upserves as a channel, an instrument, a medium for transcription. Now, there are two stages, or rather two lines of activity in the processus, for they may be overlapping and practically simultaneous. First, there is the withdrawal and the in-gathering of consciousness and then its reappearance into expression. The consciousness retires into a secret or subtle worldWords-worth's "recollected in tranquillity"and comes back with the riches gathered or transmuted there. But the purity of the gold thus garnered and stalled in the artistry of words and sounds or lines and colours depends altogether upon the purity of the channel through which it has to pass. The mental vehicle receives and records and it can do so to perfection if it is perfectly in tune with what it has to receive and record; otherwise the transcription becomes mixed and blurred, a faint or confused echo, a poor show. The supreme creators are precisely those in whom the receptacle, the instrumental faculties offer the least resistance and record with absolute fidelity the experiences of the over or inner consciousness. In Shakespeare, in Homer, in Valmiki the inflatus of the secret consciousness, the inspiration, as it is usually termed, bears down, sweeps away all obscurity or contrariety in the recording mentality, suffuses it with its own glow and puissance, indeed resolves it into its own substance, as it were. And the difference between the two, the secret norm and the recording form, determines the scale of the artist's creative value. It happens often that the obstruction of a too critically observant and self-conscious brain-mind successfully blocks up the flow of something supremely beautiful that wanted to come down and waited for an opportunity.
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The consciously purposive activity of the poetic consciousness in fact, of all artistic consciousness has shown itself with a clear and unambiguous emphasis in two directions. First of all with regard to the subject-matter: the old-world poets took things as they were, as they were obvious to the eye, things of human nature and things of physical Nature, and without questioning dealt with them in the beauty of their normal form and function. The modern mentality has turned away from the normal and the obvious: it does not accept and admit the "given" as the final and definitive norm of things. It wishes to discover and establish other norms, it strives to bring about changes in the nature and condition of things, envisage the shape of things to come, work for a brave new world. The poet of today, in spite of all his effort to remain a pure poet, in spite of Housman's advocacy of nonsense and not-sense being the essence of true Art, is almost invariably at heart an incorrigible prophet. In revolt against the old and established order of truths and customs, against all that is normally considered as beautiful,ideals and emotions and activities of man or aspects and scenes and movements of Natureagainst God or spiritual life, the modern poet turns deliberately to the ugly and the macabre, the meaningless, the insignificant and the triflingtins and teas, bone and dust and dustbin, hammer and sicklehe is still a prophet, a violent one, an iconoclast, but one who has his own icon, a terribly jealous being, that seeks to pull down the past, erase it, to break and batter and knead the elements in order to fashion out of them something conforming to his heart's desire. There is also the class who have the vision and found the truth and its solace, who are prophets, angelic and divine, messengers and harbingers of a new beauty that is to dawn upon earth. And yet there are others in whom the two strains mingle or approach in a strange way. All this means that the artist is far from being a mere receiver, a mechanical executor, a passive unconscious instrument, but that he is supremely' conscious and master of his faculties and implements. This fact is doubly reinforced when we find how much he is preoccupied with the technical aspect of his craft. The richness and variety of patterns that can be given to the poetic form know no bounds today. A few major rhythms were sufficient for the ancients to give full expression to their poetic inflatus. For they cared more for some major virtues, the basic and fundamental qualitiessuch as truth, sublimity, nobility, forcefulness, purity, simplicity, clarity, straightforwardness; they were more preoccupied with what they had to say and they wanted, no doubt, to say it beautifully and powerfully; but the modus operandi was not such a passion or obsession with them, it had not attained that almost absolute value for itself which modern craftsmanship gives it. As technology in practical life has become a thing of overwhelming importance to man today, become, in the Shakespearean phrase, his "be-all and end-all", even so the same spirit has invaded and pervaded his aesthetics too. The subtleties, variations and refinements, the revolutions, reversals and inventions which the modern poet has ushered and takes delight in, for their own sake, I repeat, for their intrinsic interest, not for the sake of the subject which they have to embody and clothe, have never been dream by Aristotle, the supreme legislator among the ancients, nor by Horace, the almost incomparable craftsman among the ancients in the domain of poetry. Man has become, to be sure, a self-conscious creator to the pith of his bone.
Such a stage in human evolution, the advent of Homo Faber, has been a necessity; it has to serve a purpose and it has done admirably its work. Only we have to put it in its proper place. The salvation of an extremely self-conscious age lies in an exceeding and not in a further enhancement or an exclusive concentration of the self-consciousness, nor, of course, in a falling back into the original unconsciousness. It is this shift in the poise of consciousness that has been presaged and prepared by the conscious, the scientific artists of today. Their task is to forge an instrument for a type of poetic or artistic creation completely new, unfamiliar, almost revolutionary which the older mould would find it impossible to render adequately. The yearning of the human consciousness was not to rest satisfied with the familiar and the ordinary, the pressure was for the discovery of other strands, secret stores of truth and reality and beauty. The first discovery was that of the great Unconscious, the dark and mysterious and all-powerful subconscient. Many of our poets and artists have been influenced by this power, some even sought to enter into that region and become its denizens. But artistic inspiration is an emanation of Light; whatever may be the field of its play, it can have its origin only in the higher spheres, if it is to be truly beautiful and not merely curious and scientific.
That is what is wanted at present in the artistic world the true inspiration, the breath from higher altitu des. And here comes the role of the mystic, the Yogi. The sense of evolution, the march of human consciousness demands and prophesies that the future poet has to be a mysticin him will be fulfilled the travail of man's conscious working. The self-conscious craftsman, the tireless experimenter with his adventurous analytic mind has sharpened his instrument, made it supple and elastic, tempered, refined and enriched it; that is comparable to what we call the aspiration or call from below. Now the Grace must descend and fulfil. And when one rises into this higher consciousness beyond the brain and mind, when one lives there habitually, one knows the why and the how of things, one becomes a perfectly conscious operator and still retains all spontaneity and freshness and wonder and magic that are usually associated with inconscience and irreflection. As there is a spontaneity of instinct, there is likewise also a spontaneity of vision: a child is spontaneous in its movements, even so a seer. Not only so, the higher spontaneity is more spontaneous, for the higher consciousness means not only awareness but the free and untrammelled activity and expression of the truth and reality it is.
Genius had to be generally more or less unconscious in the past, because the instrument was not ready, was clogged as it were with its own lower grade movements; the higher inspiration had very often to bypass it, or rob it of its serviceable materials without its knowledge, in an almost clan destine way. Wherever it was awake and vigilant, we have seen it causing a diminution in the poetic potential. And yet even so, it was being prepared for a greater role, a higher destiny it is to fulfil in the future. A conscious and full participation of a refined and transparent and enriched instrument in the delivery of superconscious truth and beauty will surely mean not only a new but the very acme of aesthetic creation. We thus foresee the age of spiritual art in which the sense of creative beauty in man will find its culmination. Such an art was only an exception, something secondary or even tertiary, kept in the background, suggested here and there as a novel strain, called "mystic" to express its unfamiliar nature-unless, of course, it was openly and obviously scriptural and religious.
I have spoken of the source of inspiration as essentially and originally being a super-consciousness or over-consciousness. But to be more precise and accurate I should add another source, an inner consciousness. As the super-consciousness is imaged as lying above the normal consciousness, so the inner consciousness may be described as lying behind or within it. The movement of the inner consciousness has found expression more often and more largely than that of over-consciousness in the artistic creation of the past : and that was in keeping with the nature of the old-world inspiration, for the inspiration that comes from the inner consciousness, which can be considered as the lyrical inspiration, tends to be naturally more "spontaneous", less conscious, since it does not at all go by the path of the head, it eva des that as much as possible and goes by the path of the heart.
But the evolutionary urge, as I have said, has always been to bring down or instil more and more light and self-consciousness into the depths of the heart too: and the first result has been an intellectualisation, a rationalisation of the consciousness, a movement of scientific observation and criticism which very naturally leads to a desiccation of the poetic enthusiasm and fervour. But a period of transcendence is in gestation. All efforts of modern poets and craftsmen, even those that seem apparently queer, bizarre and futile, are at bottom a travail for this transcendence, including those that seem contradictory to it.
Whether the original and true source of the poet's inspiration lies deep within or high above, all depends upon the mediating instrument the mind (in its most general sense) and speech for a successful transcription. Man's ever-growing consciousness demanded also a conscious development and remoulding of these two factors. A growth, a heightening and deepening of the consciousness meant inevitably a movement towards the spiritual element in things. And that means, we have said, a twofold change in the future poet's make-up. First as regards the substance. The revolutionary shift that we notice in modern poets towards a completely new domain of subject-matter is a signpost that more is meant than what is expressed. The superficialities and futilities that are dealt with do not in their outward form give the real trend of things. In and through all these major and constant preoccupation of our poets is "the pain of the present and the passion for the future": they are, as already stated, more prophets than poets, but prophets for the moment crying in the wildernessalthough some have chosen the path of denial and revolt. They are all looking ahead or beyond or deep down, always yearning for another truth and reality which will explain, justify and transmute the present calvary of human living. Such an acute tension of consciousness has necessitated an overhauling of the vehicle of expression too, the creation of a mode of expressing the inexpressible. For that is indeed what human consciousness and craft are aiming at in the present stage of man's evolution. For everything, almost everything that can be normally expressed has been expressed and in a variety of ways as much as is possible: that is the history of man's aesthetic creativity. Now the eye probes into the unexpressed world; for the artist too the Upanishadic problem has cropped up:
01.04 - The Secret Knowledge, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Elects a human vessel of descent.
A breath comes down from a supernal air,
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For these she yearns and feels them destined hers:
Heaven's privilege she claims as her own right.
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For the slow footsteps of far destiny
Approaching through huge distances of Time,
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Across the triumph, fighting and despair,
They watch the Bliss for which earth's heart has cried
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Impervious to desire and doom and hope,
Their station of inviolable might
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Immovably ready for their destined task,
The ever-wise compassionate Brilliances
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Privy to a summit victory's vast descent
And the portent of the soul's immense uprise.
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He adores her as his regent of desire,
He yields to her as the mover of his will,
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Whatever she desires he wills to be:
The Spirit, the innumerable One,
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In her material order's fixed design
Where all seems sure and, even when changed, the same,
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Timid initiate of its vast design.
An expert captain of a fragile craft,
01.05 - Rabindranath Tagore: A Great Poet, a Great Man, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Tagore is no inventor or innovator when he posits Spirit as Beauty, the spiritual consciousness as the ardent rhythm of ecstasy. This experience is the very core of Vaishnavism and for which Tagore is sometimes called a Neo-Vaishnava. The Vaishnava sees the world pulsating in glamorous beauty as the Lila (Play) of the Lord, and the Lord, God himself, is nothing but Love and Beauty. Still Tagore is not all Vaishnava or merely a Vaishnava; he is in addition a modern (the carping voice will say, there comes the dilution and adulteration)in the sense that problems exist for himsocial, political, economic, national, humanitarianwhich have to be faced and solved: these are not merely mundane, but woven into the texture of the fundamental problem of human destiny, of Soul and Spirit and God. A Vaishnava was, in spite of his acceptance of the world, an introvert, to use a modern psychological phrase, not necessarily in the pejorative sense, but in the neutral scientific sense. He looks upon the universe' and human life as the play of the Lord, as an actuality and not mere illusion indeed; but he does not participate or even take interest in the dynamic working out of the world process, he does not care to know, has no need of knowing that there is a terrestrial purpose and a diviner fulfilment of the mortal life upon earth. The Vaishnava dwells more or less absorbed in the Vaikuntha of his inner consciousness; the outer world, although real, is only a symbolic shadowplay to which he can but be a witness-real, is only a nothing more.
A modern idealist of the type of a reformer would not be satisfied with that role. If he is merely a moralist reformer, he will revolt against the "witness business", calling it a laissez-faire mentality of bygone days. A spiritual reformer would ask for morea dynamic union with the Divine Will and Consciousness, not merely a passive enjoyment in the Bliss, so that he may be a luminous power or agent for the expression of divine values in things mundane.
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Tagore was a poet; this poetic power of his he put in the service of the great cause for the divine uplift of humanity. Naturally, it goes without saying, his poetry did not preach or propagandize the truths for which he stoodhe had a fine and powerful weapon in his prose to do the work, even then in a poetic way but to sing them. And he sang them not in their philosophical bareness, like a Lucretius, or in their sheer transcendental austerity like some of the Upanishadic Rishis, but in and through human values and earthly norms. The especial aroma of Tagore's poetry lies exactly here, as he himself says, in the note of unboundedness in things bounded that it describes. A mundane, profane sensuousness, Kalidasian in richness and sweetness, is matched or counterpointed by a simple haunting note imbedded or trailing somewhere behind, a lyric cry persevering into eternity, the nostalgic cry of the still small voice.2
Thus, on the one hand, the Eternity, the Infinity, the Spirit is brought nearer home to us in its embodied symbols and living vehicles and vivid formulations, it becomes easily available to mortals, even like the father to his son, to use a Vedic phrase; on the other hand, earthly things, mere humanities are uplifted and suffused with a "light that never was, on sea or land."
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Out of thy greatness draw close to the breast of our mortal desire!
This also is Tagore's soul-prayer, his deepest aspiration.
01.05 - The Nietzschean Antichrist, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Nietzsche as the apostle of force is a name now familiar to all the world. The hero, the warrior who never tamely accepts suffering and submission and defeat under any condition but fights always and fights to conquersuch is the ideal man, according to Nietzsche,the champion of strength, of greatness, of mightiness. The dominating personality infused with the supreme "will to power"he is Ubermensch, the Superman. Sentiment does not move the mountains, emotion diffuses itself only in vague aspiration. The motive power, the creative fiat does not dwell in the heart but somewhere higher. The way of the Cross, the path of love and charity and pity does not lead to the kingdom of Heaven. The world has tried it for the last twenty centuries of its Christian civilisation and the result is that we are still living in a luxuriant abundance of misery and sordidness and littleness. This is how Nietzsche thinks and feels. He finds no virtue in the old rgimes and he revolts from them. He wants a speedy and radical remedy and teaches that by violence only the Kingdom of Heaven can be seized. For, to Nietzsche the world is only a clash of forces and the Superman therefore is one who is the embodiment of the greatest force. Nietzsche does not care for the good, it is the great that moves him. The good, the moral is of man, conventional and has only a fictitious value. The great, the non-moral is, on the other hand, divine. That only has a value of its own. The good is nothing but a sort of makeshift arrangement which man makes for himself in order to live commodiously and which changes according to his temperament. But the great is one with the Supreme Wisdom and is absolute and imperative. The good cannot create the great; it is the great that makes for the good. This is what he really means when he says, "They say that a good cause sanctifies war but I tell thee it is a good war that sanctifies all cause." For the goodness of your cause you judge by your personal predilections, by your false conventionalities, by a standard that you set up in your ignoranceBut a good war, the output of strength in any cause is in itself a cause of salvation. For thereby you are the champion of that ultimate verity which conduces to the ultimate good. Do not shrink, he would say, to be even like the cyclone and the avalanche, destructive, indeed, but grand and puissant and therefore truer emblems of the BeyondJenseitsthan the weak, the little, the pitiful that do not dare to destroy and by that very fact cannot hope to create.
This is the Nietzsche we all know. But there is another aspect of his which the world has yet been slow to recognise. For, at bottom, Nietzsche is not all storm and fury. If his Superman is a destroying Angel, he is none the less an angel. If he is endowed with a supreme sense of strength and power, there is also secreted in the core of his heart a sense of the beautiful that illumines his somewhat sombre aspect. For although Nietzsche is by birth a Slavo-Teuton, by culture and education he is pre-eminently Hellenic. His earliest works are on the subject of Greek tragedy and form what he describes as an "Apollonian dream." And to this dream, to this Greek aesthetic sense more than to any thing else he sacrifices justice and pity and charity. To him the weak and the miserable, the sick and the maimed are a sort of blot, a kind of ulcer on the beautiful face of humanity. The herd that wallow in suffering and relish suffering disfigure the aspect of the world and should therefore be relentlessly mowed out of existence. By being pitiful to them we give our tacit assent to their persistence. And it is precisely because of this that Nietzsche has a horror of Christianity. For compassion gives indulgence to all the ugliness of the world and thus renders that ugliness a necessary and indispensable element of existence. To protect the weak, to sympathise with the lowly brings about more of weakness and more of lowliness. Nietzsche has an aristocratic taste par excellencewhat he aims at is health and vigour and beauty. But above all it is an aristocracy of the spirit, an aristocracy endowed with all the richness and beauty of the soul that Nietzsche wants to establish. The beggar of the street is the symbol of ugliness, of the poverty of the spirit. And the so-called aristocrat, die millionaire of today is as poor and ugly as any helpless leper. The soul of either of them is made of the same dirty, sickly stuff. The tattered rags, the crouching heart, the effeminate nerve, the unenlightened soul are the standing ugliness of the world and they have no place in the ideal, the perfect humanity. Humanity, according to Nietzsche, is made in order to be beautiful, to conceive the beautiful, to create the beautiful. Nietzsche's Superman has its perfect image in a Grecian statue of Zeus cut out in white marble-Olympian grandeur shedding in every lineament Apollonian beauty and Dionysian vigour.
The real secret of Nietzsche's philosophy is not an adoration of brute force, of blind irrational joy in fighting and killing. Far from it, Nietzsche has no kinship with Treitschke or Bernhard. What Nietzsche wanted was a world purged of littleness and ugliness, a humanity, not of saints, perhaps, but of heroes, lofty in their ideal, great in their achievement, majestic in their empirea race of titanic gods breathing the glory of heaven itself.
01.05 - The Yoga of the King - The Yoga of the Spirits Freedom and Greatness, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
There are thrills of the flesh, but not the soul's desire.
Here even the highest rapture Time can give
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And yet a greater destiny may be his,
For the eternal Spirit is his truth.
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Engrossed in the external world's design,
Is chosen by a secret witness Eye
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A strong descent leaped down. A Might, a Flame,
A Beauty half-visible with deathless eyes,
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Abolished were the scripts of destiny.
There was no small death-hunted creature more,
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Her potencies of marvel-fraught design
Courted employment by an earth-nursed might.
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His magic of formative number and design,
The fixed irrational links none can annul,
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A greater despot tamed her despotism.
Assailed, surprised in the fortress of her self,
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Ascending and descending twixt life's poles
The seried kingdoms of the graded Law
01.06 - On Communism, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
A commune, further, is not only a product or final achievement; it is also a process, an instrument to bring about the desired end. A group of individuals come to have a common self and a common life-intuition in and through the commune; and in and through the commune does each individual progress to the realisation of his deepest self and the awakening of his inmost life-intuition.
The individual must find himself and establish his secret god-head, and then only, when such free and integral individualities meet and reciprocate and coalesce, can the community they form have a living reality and a permanent potency. On the other hand, unless individuals come together and through the interchange of each other's soul and substance' enhance the communal Godhead, the separate individual godheads also will not manifest in their supreme and sovereign powers.
01.06 - Vivekananda, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
A personal reminiscence. A young man in prison, accused of conspiracy and waging war against the British Empire. If convicted he might have to suffer the extreme penalty, at least, transportation to the Andamans. The case is dragging on for long months. And the young man is in a solitary cell. He cannot always keep up his spirits high. Moments of sadness and gloom and despair come and almost overwhelm him. Who was there to console and cheer him up? Vivekananda. Vivekananda's speeches, From Colombo to Almora, came, as a godsend, into the hands of the young man. Invariably, when the period of despondency came he used to open the book, read a few pages, read them over again, and the cloud was there no longer. Instead there was hope and courage and faith and future and light and air.
Such is Vivekananda, the embodiment of Fearlessnessabh, the Upanishadic word, the mantra, he was so fond of. The life and vision of Vivekananda can be indeed summed up in the mighty phrase of the Upanishads, nyam tm balahnena labhya. 'This soul no weakling can attain.' Strength! More strength! Strength evermore! One remembers the motto of Danton, the famous leader in the French Revolution:De l'audance, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace!
01.07 - Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
But the pressure upon his dynamic and heated brain the fiery zeal in his mindwas already proving too much and he was advised medically to take complete rest. Thereupon followed what was known as Pascal's mundane lifea period of distraction and dissipation; but this did not last long nor was it of a serious nature. The inner fire could brook no delay, it was eager and impatient to englobe other fields and domains. Indeed, it turned to its own field the heart. Pascal became initiated into the mystery of Faith and Grace. Still he had to pass through a terrible period of dejection and despair: the life of the world had given him no rest or relaxation, it served only to fill his cup of misery to the brim. But the hour of final relief was not long postponed: the Grace came to him, even as it came to Moses or St. Paul as a sudden flare of fire which burnt up the Dark Night and opened out the portals of Morning Glory.
Pascal's place in the evolution of European culture and consciousness is of considerable significance and importance. He came at a critical time, on the mounting tide of rationalism and scepticism, in an age when the tone and temper of human mentality were influenced and fashioned by Montaigne and Rochefoucauld, by Bacon and Hobbes. Pascal himself, born in such an atmosphere of doubt and disbelief and disillusionment, had sucked in a full dose of that poison; yet he survived and found the Rock of Ages, became the clarion of Faith against Denial. What a spectacle it was! This is what one wrote just a quarter of a century after the death of Pascal:
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"Ils ne peuvent plus nous dire qu'il n'y a que de petits esprits qui aient de la pit: car on leur en fait voir de la mieux pouss dans run des plus grands go-mtres, l'un des plus subtils mtaphysiciens, et des plus pntrants esprits que aient jamais t au monde. La pit d'un tel philosophe devrait faire dire aux indvots et awe libertins ce que dit un jour un certain Diocls, en voyant Epicure dans un temple: 'Quelle fte,' s'criait-il, 'quelle spectacle pour moi, de voir Epicure dans un temple! Tous mes soupons s'vanouissent: la pit reprend sa place; et je ne vis jamais mieux la grandeur de Jupiter que depuis que je vois Epicure genoux!' " aBayle: Nouvelle de la Rpublique des Lettres.
"La dernire dmarche de la raison, c'est de connatre qu'il y a une infinit de chases qui la surpassent. Elle est bien faible si elle ne va jusque-l
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"La distance infinite des corps aux esprits figure la distance infiniment plus infinie des esprits la charit."
"Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connat point; ... Je dis que Ie coeur aime l'tre universel naturellement, et soi-mme naturellement, selon qu'il s'y donne; et il se durcit contre l'un ou l'autre, son choix. Vous avez rejet l'un et conserv l'autre. Est-ce par raison que vous aimez?"
01.07 - The Bases of Social Reconstruction, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
And yet we have no hesitation today to call them Huns and Barbarians. That education is not giving us the right thing is proved further by the fact that we are constantly changing our programmes and curriculums, everyday remodelling old institutions and founding new ones. Even a revolution in the educational system will not bring about the desired millennium, so long as we lay so much stress upon the system and not upon man himself. And finally, look to all the religions of the worldwe have enough of creeds and dogmas, of sermons and mantras, of churches and templesand yet human life and society do not seem to be any the more worthy for it.
Are we then to say that human nature is irrevocably vitiated by an original sin and that all our efforts at reformation and regeneration are, as the Indian saying goes, like trying to straighten out the crooked tail of a dog?
01.08 - A Theory of Yoga, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
There are some primary desires that seek satisfaction in man. They are the vital urges of life, the most prominent among them being the instinct of self-preservation and that of self-reproduction or the desire to preserve one's body by defensive as well as by offensive means and the desire to multiply oneself by mating. These are the two biological necessities that are inevitable to man's existence as a physical being. They give the minimum conditions required to be fulfilled by man in order that he may live and hence they are the strongest and the most fundamental elements that enter into his structure and composition.
It would have been an easy matter if these vital urges could flow on unhindered in their way. There would have been no problem at all, if they met satisfaction easily and smoothly, without having to look to other factors and forces. As a matter of fact, man does not and cannot gratify his instincts whenever and wherever he chooses and in an open and direct manner. Even in his most primitive and barbarous condition, he has often to check himself and throw a veil, in so many ways, over his sheer animality. In the civilised society the check is manifold and is frankly recognised. We do not go straight as our sexual impulsion leads, but seek to hide and camouflage it under the institution of marriage; we do not pounce upon the food directly we happen to meet it and snatch and appropriate whatever portion we get but we secure it through an elaborate process, which is known as the economic system. The machinery of the state, the cult of the kshatriya are roundabout ways to meet our fighting instincts.
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This is the real meaning and sense of the moral struggle in man, the continuous endeavour towards a transvaluation of the primary and aboriginal instincts and impulses. Looked at from one end, from below up the ascending line, man's ethical and spiritual ideals are a dissimulation and sublimation of the animal impulsions. But this is becauseas we see, if we look from the other end, from above down the descending lineman is not all instinct, he is not a mere blind instrument in the hands of Nature forces. He has in him another source, an opposite pole of being from which other impulsions flow and continually modify the structure of the lower levels. If the animal is the foundation of his nature, the divine is its summit. If the bodily demands form his manifest reality, the demands of the spirit enshrine his higher reality. And if as regards the former he is a slave, as regards the latter he is the Master. It is by the interaction of these double forces that his whole nature has been and is being fashioned. Man does not and cannot give carte blanche to his vital, inclinations, since there is a pressure upon them of higher forces coming down from his mental and spiritual levels. It is these latter which have deviated him from the direct line of the pure animal life.
Thus then we may distinguish three types of control on three levels. First, the natural control, secondly the conscious, i.e. to say the mental the ethical and religious control, and thirdly the spiritual or divine control. Now the spirit is the ultimate truth and reality, behind the forces that act in the mind and in the body, so that the natural control and the ethical control are mere attempts to establish and realise the spiritual control. The animal impulses feel the hidden stress of the divine urges that are their real essence and thus there rises first an unconscious conflict in the natural life and then a conscious conflict in the higher ethical life. But when both of these are transcended and the conflict is carried on to a still higher level, then do we find their real significance and arrive at the consummation to which they move. Yoga is the ultimate transvaluation of physical (and of moral) values, it is the trans-substantiation of life-power into its spiritual substance.
01.08 - Walter Hilton: The Scale of Perfection, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
From the twentieth century back to the fourteenth is a far cry: a far cry indeed from the modern scientific illumination to mediaeval superstition, from logical positivists and mathematical rationalists to visionary mystics, from Russell and Huxley to Ruysbroeck and Hilton. The mystic lore, the Holy Writ, the mediaeval sage says, echoing almost the very words of the Eastern Masters, "may not be got by study nor through man's travail only, but principally by the grace of the Holy Ghost." As for the men living and moving in the worldly way, there are "so mickle din and crying in their heart and vain thoughts and fleshly desires" that it is impossible for them to listen or understand the still small voice. It is the pure soul touched by the Grace that alone "seeth soothfastness of Holy Writ wonderly shewed and opened, above study and travail and reason of man's kindly (i.e. natural) wit."
What is day to us is night to the mystics and what is day to the mystics is night for us. The first thing the mystic asks is to close precisely those doors and windows which we, on the contrary, feel obliged to keep always open in order to know and to live and move. The Gita says: "The sage is wakeful when it is night for all creatures and when all creatures are wakeful, that is night for the sage." Even so this sage from the West says: "The more I sleep from outward things, the more wakeful am I in knowing of Jhesu and of inward things. I may not wake to Jhesu, but if I sleep to the world."
--
Here is the Augustinian mantra taken as the motto of The Scale of Perfection: We ascend the ascending gra des in our heart and we sing the song of ascension1. The journey's end is heavenly Jerusalem, the House of the Lord. The steps of this inner ascension are easily visible, not surely to the outer eye of the sense-burdened man, but to the "ghostly seeing" of the aspirant which is hazy in the beginning but slowly clears as he advances. The first step is the withdrawal from the outer senses and looking and seeing within. "Turn home again in thyself, and hold thee within and beg no more without." The immediate result is a darkness and a restless darknessit is a painful night. The outer objects of attraction and interest have been discarded, but the inner attachments and passions surge there still. If, however, one continues and persists, refuses to be drawn out, the turmoil settles down and the darkness begins to thin and wear away. One must not lose heart, one must have patience and perseverance. So when the outward world is no more-there and its call also no longer awakes any echo in us, then comes the stage of "restful darkness" or "light-some darkness". But it is still the dark Night of the soul. The outer light is gone and the inner light is not yet visible: the night, the desert, the great Nought, stretches between these two lights. But the true seeker goes through and comes out of the tunnel. And there is happiness at the end. "The seeking is travaillous, but the finding is blissful." When one steps out of the Night, enters into the deepest layer of the being, one stands face to face to one's soul, the very image of God, the perfect God-man, the Christ within. That is the third degree of our inner ascension, the entry into the deepest, purest and happiest statein which one becomes what he truly is; one finds the Christ there and dwells in love and union with him. But there is still a further step to take, and that is real ascension. For till now it has been a going within, from the outward to the inner and the inmost; now one has to go upward, transcend. Within the body, in life, however deep you may go, even if you find your soul and your union with Jesus whose tabernacle is your soul, still there is bound to remain a shadow of the sinful prison-house; the perfect bliss and purity without any earthly taint, the completeness and the crowning of the purgation and transfiguration can come only when you go beyond, leaving altogether the earthly form and worldly vesture and soar into Heaven itself and be in the company of the Trinity. "Into myself, and after... above myself by overpassing only into Him." At the same time it is pointed out, this mediaeval mystic has the common sense to see that the going in and going above of which one speaks must not be understood in a literal way, it is a figure of speech. The movement of the mystic is psychological"ghostly", it is saidnot physical or carnal.
This spiritual march or progress can also be described as a growing into the likeness of the Lord. His true self, his own image is implanted within us; he is there in the profoun dest depth of our being as Jesus, our beloved and our soul rests in him in utmost bliss. We are aware neither of Jesus nor of his spouse, our soul, because of the obsession of the flesh, the turmoil raised by the senses, the blindness of pride and egoism. All that constitutes the first or old Adam, the image of Nought, the body of death which means at bottom the "false misruled love in to thyself." This self-love is the mother of sin, is sin itself. What it has to be replaced by is charity that is the true meaning of Christian charity, forgetfulness of self. "What is sin but a wanting and a forbearing of God." And the whole task, the discipline consists in "the shaping of Christ in you, the casting of sin through Christ." Who then is Christ, what is he? This knowledge you get as you advance from your sense-bound perception towards the inner and inmost seeing. As your outer nature gets purified, you approach gradually your soul, the scales fall off from your eyes too and you have the knowledge and "ghostly vision." Here too there are three degrees; first, you start with faith the senses can do nothing better than have faith; next, you rise to imagination which gives a sort of indirect touch or inkling of the truth; finally, you have the "understanding", the direct vision. "If he first trow it, he shall afterwards through grace feel it, and finally understand it."
It is never possible for man, weak and bound as he is, to reject the thraldom of his flesh, he can never purify himself wholly by his own unaided strength. God in his infinite mercy sent his own son, an emanation created out of his substancehis embodied loveas a human being to suffer along with men and take upon himself the burden of their sins. God the Son lived upon earth as man and died as man. Sin therefore has no longer its final or definitive hold upon mankind. Man has been made potentially free, pure and worthy of salvation. This is the mystery of Christ, of God the Son. But there is a further mystery. Christ not only lived for all men for all time, whether they know him, recognise him or not; but he still lives, he still chooses his beloved and his beloved chooses him, there is a conscious acceptance on either side. This is the function of the Holy Ghost, the redeeming power of Love active in him who accepts it and who is accepted by it, the dynamic Christ-Consciousness in the true Christian.
--
The characteristic then of the path is a one-pointed concentration. Great stress is laid upon "oneliness", "onedness":that is to say, a perfect and complete withdrawal from the outside and the world; an unmixed solitude is required for the true experience and realisation to come. "A full forsaking in will of the soul for the love of Him, and a living of the heart to Him. This asks He, for this gave He." The rigorous exclusion, the uncompromising asceticism, the voluntary self-torture, the cruel dark night and the arid desert are necessary conditions that lead to the "onlyness of soul", what another prophet (Isaiah, XXIV, 16) describes as "My privity to me". In that secreted solitude, the "onlistead"the graphic language of the author calls itis found "that dignity and that ghostly fairness which a soul had by kind and shall have by grace." The utter beauty of the soul and its absolute love for her deity within her (which has the fair name of Jhesu), the exclusive concentration of the whole of the being upon one point, the divine core, the manifest Grace of God, justifies the annihilation of the world and life's manifold existence. Indeed, the image of the Beloved is always within, from the beginning to the end. It is that that keeps one up in the terrible struggle with one's nature and the world. The image depends upon the consciousness which we have at the moment, that is to say, upon the stage or the degree we have ascended to. At the outset, when we can only look through the senses, when the flesh is our master, we give the image a crude form and character; but even that helps. Gradually, as we rise, with the clearing of our nature, the image too slowly regains its original and true shape. Finally, in the inmost soul we find Jesus as he truly is: "an unchangeable being, a sovereign might, a sovereign soothfastness, sovereign goodness, a blessed life and endless bliss." Does not the Gita too say: "As one approaches Me, so do I appear to him."Ye yath mm prapadyante.
Indeed, it would be interesting to compare and contrast the Eastern and Western approach to Divine Love, the Christian and the Vaishnava, for example. Indian spirituality, whatever its outer form or credal formulation, has always a background of utter unity. This unity, again, is threefold or triune and is expressed in those great Upanishadic phrases,mahvkyas,(1) the transcendental unity: the One alone exists, there is nothing else than theOneekamevdvityam; (2) the cosmic unity: all existence is one, whatever exists is that One, thereare no separate existences:sarvam khalvidam brahma neha nnsti kincaa; (3) That One is I, you too are that One:so' ham, tattvamasi; this may be called the individual unity. As I have said, all spiritual experiences in India, of whatever school or line, take for granted or are fundamentally based upon this sense of absolute unity or identity. Schools of dualism or pluralism, who do not apparently admit in their tenets this extreme monism, are still permeated in many ways with that sense and in some form or other take cognizance of the truth of it. The Christian doctrine too says indeed, 'I and my Father in Heaven are one', but this is not identity, but union; besi des, the human soul is not admitted into this identity, nor the world soul. The world, we have seen, according to the Christian discipline has to be altogether abandoned, negatived, as we go inward and upward towards our spiritual status reflecting the divine image in the divine company. It is a complete rejection, a cutting off and casting away of world and life. One extreme Vedantic path seems to follow a similar line, but there it is not really rejection, but a resolution, not the rejection of what is totally foreign and extraneous, but a resolution of the external into its inner and inmost substance, of the effect into its original cause. Brahman is in the world, Brahman is the world: the world has unrolled itself out of the Brahmansi, pravttiit has to be rolled back into its, cause and substance if it is to regain its pure nature (that is the process of nivitti). Likewise, the individual being in the world, "I", is the transcendent being itself and when it withdraws, it withdraws itself and the whole world with it and merges into the Absolute. Even the Maya of the Mayavadin, although it is viewed as something not inherent in Brahman but superimposed upon Brahman, still, has been accepted as a peculiar power of Brahman itself. The Christian doctrine keeps the individual being separate practically, as an associate or at the most as an image of God. The love for one's neighbour, charity, which the Christian discipline enjoins is one's love for one's kind, because of affinity of nature and quality: it does not dissolve the two into an integral unity and absolute identity, where we love because we are one, because we are the One. The highest culmination of love, the very basis of love, according to the Indian conception, is a transcendence of love, love trans-muted into Bliss. The Upanishad says, where one has become the utter unity, who loves whom? To explain further our point, we take two examples referred to in the book we are considering. The true Christian, it is said, loves the sinner too, he is permitted to dislike sin, for he has to reject it, but he must separate from sin the sinner and love him. Why? Because the sinner too can change and become his brother in spirit, one loves the sinner because there is the possibility of his changing and becoming a true Christian. It is why the orthodox Christian, even such an enlightened and holy person as this mediaeval Canon, considers the non-Christian, the non-baptised as impure and potentially and fundamentally sinners. That is also why the Church, the physical organisation, is worshipped as Christ's very body and outside the Church lies the pagan world which has neither religion nor true spirituality nor salvation. Of course, all this may be symbolic and it is symbolic in a sense. If Christianity is taken to mean true spirituality, and the Church is equated with the collective embodiment of that spirituality, all that is claimed on their behalf stands justified. But that is an ideal, a hypothetical standpoint and can hardly be borne out by facts. However, to come back to our subject, let us ow take the second example. Of Christ himself, it is said, he not only did not dislike or had any aversion for Judas, but that he positively loved the traitor with a true and sincere love. He knew that the man would betray him and even when he was betraying and had betrayed, the Son of Man continued to love him. It was no make-believe or sham or pretence. It was genuine, as genuine as anything can be. Now, why did he love his enemy? Because, it is said, the enemy is suffered by God to do the misdeed: he has been allowed to test the faith of the faithful, he too has his utility, he too is God's servant. And who knows even a Judas would not change in the end? Many who come to scoff do remain to pray. But it can be asked, 'Does God love Satan too in the same way?' The Indian conception which is basically Vedantic is different. There is only one reality, one truth which is viewed differently. Whether a thing is considered good or evil or neutral, essentially and truly, it is that One and nothing else. God's own self is everywhere and the sage makes no difference between the Brahmin and the cow and the elephant. It is his own self he finds in every person and every objectsarvabhtsthitam yo mm bhajati ekatvamsthitah"he has taken his stand upon oneness and loves Me in all beings."2
This will elucidate another point of difference between the Christian's and the Vaishnava's love of God, for both are characterised by an extreme intensity and sweetness and exquisiteness of that divine feeling. This Christian's, however, is the union of the soul in its absolute purity and simplicity and "privacy" with her lord and master; the soul is shred here of all earthly vesture and goes innocent and naked into the embrace of her Beloved. The Vaishnava feeling is richer and seems to possess more amplitude; it is more concrete and less ethereal. The Vaishnava in his passionate yearning seeks to carry as it were the whole world with him to his Lord: for he sees and feels Him not only in the inmost chamber of his soul, but meets Him also in and I through his senses and in and through the world and its objects around. In psychological terms one can say that the Christian realisation, at its very source, is that of the inmost soul, what we call the "psychic being" pure and simple, referred to in the book we are considering; as: "His sweet privy voice... stirreth thine heart full stilly." Whereas the Vaishnava reaches out to his Lord with his outer heart too aflame with passion; not only his inmost being but his vital being also seeks the Divine. This bears upon the occult story of man's spiritual evolution upon earth. The Divine Grace descends from the highest into the deepest and from the deepest to the outer ranges of human nature, so that the whole of it may be illumined and transformed and one day man can embody in his earthly life the integral manifestation of God, the perfect Epiphany. Each religion, each line of spiritual discipline takes up one limb of manone level or mode of his being and consciousness purifies it and suffuses it with the spiritual and divine consciousness, so that in the end the whole of man, in his integral living, is recast and remoulded: each discipline is in charge of one thread as it were, all together weave the warp and woof in the evolution of the perfect pattern of a spiritualised and divinised humanity.
The conception of original sin is a cardinal factor in Christian discipline. The conception, of sinfulness is the very motive-power that drives the aspirant. "Seek tensely," it is said, "sorrow and sigh deep, mourn still, and stoop low till thine eye water for anguish and for pain." Remorse and grief are necessary attendants; the way of the cross is naturally the calvary strewn with pain and sorrow. It is the very opposite of what is termed the "sunlit path" in spiritual ascension. Christian mystics have made a glorious spectacle of the process of "dying to the world." Evidently, all do not go the whole length. There are less gloomy and happier temperaments, like the present one, for example, who show an unusual balance, a sturdy common sense even in the midst of their darkest nights, who have chalked out as much of the sunlit path as is possible in this line. Thus this old-world mystic says: it is true one must see and admit one's sinfulness, the grosser and apparent and more violent ones as well as all the subtle varieties of it that are in you or rise up in you or come from the Enemy. They pursue you till the very end of your journey. Still you need not feel overwhelmed or completely desperate. Once you recognise the sin in you, even the bare fact of recognition means for you half the victory. The mystic says, "It is no sin as thou feelest them." The day Jesus gave himself away on the Cross, since that very day you are free, potentially free from the bondage of sin. Once you give your adherence to Him, the Enemies are rendered powerless. "They tease the soul, but they harm not the soul". Or again, as the mystic graphically phrases it: "This soul is not borne in this image of sin as a sick man, though he feel it; but he beareth it." The best way of dealing with one's enemies is not to struggle and "strive with them." The aspirant, the lover of Jesus, must remember: "He is through grace reformed to the likeness of God ('in the privy substance of his soul within') though he neither feel it nor see it."
If you are told you are still full of sins and you are not worthy to follow the path, that you must go and work out your sins first, here is your answer: "Go shrive thee better: trow not this saying, for it is false, for thou art shriven. Trust securely that thou art on the way, and thee needeth no ransacking of shrift for that that is passed, hold forth thy way and think on Jerusalem." That is to say, do not be too busy with the difficulties of the moment, but look ahead, as far as possible, fix your attention upon the goal, the intermediate steps will become easy. Jerusalem is another name of the Love of Jesus or the Bliss in Heaven. Grow in this love, your sins will fade away of themselves. "Though thou be thrust in an house with thy body, nevertheless in thine heart, where the stead of love is, thou shouldst be able to have part of that love... " What exquisite utterance, what a deep truth!
Indeed, there are one or two points, notes for the guidance of the aspirant, which I would like to mention here for their striking appositeness and simple "soothfastness." First of all with regard to the restless enthusiasm and eagerness of a novice, here is the advice given: "The fervour is so mickle in outward showing, is not only for mickleness of love that they have; but it is for littleness and weakness of their souls, that they may not bear a little touching of God.. afterward when love hath boiled out all the uncleanliness, then is the love clear and standeth still, and then is both the body and the soul mickle more in peace, and yet hath the self soul mickle more love than it had before, though it shew less outward." And again: "without any fervour outward shewed, and the less it thinketh that it loveth or seeth God, the nearer it nigheth" ('it' naturally refers to the soul). The statement is beautifully self-luminous, no explanation is required. Another hurdle that an aspirant has to face often in the passage through the Dark Night is that you are left all alone, that you are deserted by your God, that the Grace no longer favours you. Here is however the truth of the matter; "when I fall down to my frailty, then Grace withdraweth: for my falling is cause there-of, and not his fleeing." In fact, the Grace never withdraws, it is we who withdraw and think otherwise. One more difficulty that troubles the beginner especially is with regard to the false light. The being of darkness comes in the form of the angel of light, imitates the tone of the still small voice; how to recognise, how to distinguish the two? The false light, the "feigned sun" is always found "atwixt two black rainy clouds" : they are "highing" of oneself and "lowing" of others. When you feel flattered and elated, beware it is the siren voice tempting you. The true light brings you soothing peace and meekness: the other light brings always a trail of darknessf you are soothfast and sincere you will discover it if not near you, somewhere at a distance lurking.
The ultimate truth is that God is the sole doer and the best we can do is to let him do freely without let or hindrance. "He that through Grace may see Jhesu, how that He doth all and himself doth right nought but suffereth Jhesu work in him what him liketh, he is meek." And yet one does not arrive at that condition from the beginning or all at once. "The work is not of the hour nor of a day, but of many days and years." And for a long time one has to take up one's burden and work, co-operate with the Divine working. In the process there is this double movement necessary for the full achievement. "Neither Grace only without full working of a soul that in it is nor working done without grace bringeth a soul to reforming but that one joined to that other." Mysticism is not all eccentricity and irrationality: on the contrary, sanity seems to be the very character of the higher mysticism. And it is this sanity, and even a happy sense of humour accompanying it, that makes the genuine mystic teacher say: "It is no mastery to me for to say it, but for to do it there is mastery." Amen.
01.09 - The Parting of the Way, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
As a matter of fact it is not so. The glimpses of a higher form of consciousness we can see even now present in self-consciousness. We have spoken of the different stages of evolution as if they were separate and distinct and incommensurate entities. They may be described as such for the purpose of a logical understanding, but in reality they form a single progressive continuum in which one level gradually fuses into another. And as the higher level takes up the law of the lower and evolves out of it a characteristic function, even so the law of the higher level with its characteristic function is already involved and envisaged in the law of the lower level and its characteristic function. It cannot be asserted positively that because man's special virtue is self-consciousness, animals cannot have that quality on any account. We do see, if we care to observe closely and dispassionately, that animals of the higher order, as they approach the level of humanity, show more and more evident signs of something which is very much akin to, if not identical with the human characteristic of self-consciousness.
So, in man also, especially of that order which forms the crown of humanityin poets and artists and seers and great men of actioncan be observed a certain characteristic form of consciousness, which is something other than, greater than the consciousness of the mere self. It is difficult as yet to characterise definitely what that thing is. It is the awakening of the self to something which is beyond itselfit is the cosmic self, the oversoul, the universal being; it is God, it is Turiya, it is sachchidanandain so many ways the thing has been sought to be envisaged and expressed. The consciousness of that level has also a great variety of names given to it Intuition, Revelation, cosmic consciousness, God-consciousness. It is to be noted here, however, that the thing we are referring to, is not the Absolute, the Infinite, the One without a second. It is not, that is to say, the supreme Reality the Brahmanin its static being, in its undivided and indivisible unity; it is the dynamic Brahman, that status of the supreme Reality where creation, the diversity of Becoming takes rise, it is the Truth-worldRitam the domain of typal realities. The distinction is necessary, as there does seem to be such a level of consciousness intermediary, again, between man and the Absolute, between self-consciousness and the supreme consciousness. The simplest thing would be to give that intermediate level of consciousness a negative namesince being as yet human we cannot foresee exactly its composition and function the super-consciousness.
01.09 - William Blake: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Such is to be the ideal, the perfect, the spiritual man. Have we here the progenitor of the Nietzschean Superman? Both smell almost the same sulphurous atmosphere. But that also seems to lie in the direction to which the whole world is galloping in its evolutionary course. Humanity in its agelong travail has passed through the agony, one might say, of two extreme and opposite experiences, which are epitomised in the classic phrasing of Sri Aurobindo as: (1) the Denial of the Materialist and (2) the Refusal of the Ascetic.1 Neither, however, the Spirit alone nor the body alone is man's reality; neither only the earth here nor only the heaven there embodies man's destiny. Both have to be claimed, both have to belivedubhayameva samrt, as the old sage, Yajnavalkya, declared.
The earliest dream of humanity is also the last fulfilment. The Vedic Rishis sang of the marriage of heaven and earthHeaven is my father and this Earth my mother. And Blake and Nietzsche are fiery apostles of that dream and ideal in an age crippled with doubt, falsehood, smallness, crookedness, impotence, colossal ignorance.
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Touching the very core of the malady of our age he says that our modern enlightenment seeks to cancel altogether the higher values and install instead the lower alone as true. Thus, for example, Marx and Freud, its twin arch priests, are brothers. Both declare that it is the lower, the under layer alone that matters: to one "the masses", to the other "the instincts". Their wild imperative roars: "Sweep away this pseudo-higher; let the instincts rule, let the pro-letariat dictate!" But more characteristic, Monsieur Thibon has made another discovery which gives the whole value and speciality to his outlook. He says the moderns stress the lower, no doubt; but the old world stressed only the higher and neglected the lower. Therefore the revolt and wrath of the lower, the rage of Revanche in the heart of the dispossessed in the modern world. Enlightenment meant till now the cultivation and embellishment of the Mind, the conscious Mind, the rational and nobler faculties, the height and the depth: and mankind meant the princes and the great ones. In the individual, in the scheme of his culture and education, the senses were neglected, left to go their own way as they pleased; and in the collective field, the toiling masses in the same way lived and moved as best as they could under the economics of laissez-faire. So Monsieur Thibon conclu des: "Salvation has never come from below. To look for it from above only is equally vain. No doubt salvation must come from the higher, but on condition that the higher completely adopts and protects the lower." Here is a vision luminous and revealing, full of great import, if we follow the right track, prophetic of man's true destiny. It is through this infiltration of the higher into the lower and the integration of the lower into the higher that mankind will reach the goal of its evolution, both individually and collectively.
But the process, Monsieur Thibon rightly asserts, must begin with the individual and within the individual. Man must "turn within, feel alive within himself", re-establish his living contact with God, the source and origin from which he has cut himself off. Man must learn to subordinate having to being. Each individual must be himself, a free and spontaneous expression. Upon such individual , upon individuals grouped naturally in smaller collectivities and not upon unformed or ill-formed wholesale masses can a perfect human society be raised and will be raised. Monsieur Thibon insistsand very rightlyupon the variety and diversity of individual and local growths in a unified humanity and not a dead uniformity of regimented oneness. He declares, as the reviewer of the London Times succinctly puts it: "Let us abolish our insensate worship of number. Let us repeal the law of majorities. Let us work for the unity that draws together instead of idolizing the multiplicity that disintegrates. Let us understand that it is not enough for each to have a place; what matters is that each should be in his right place. For the atomized society let us substitute an organic society, one in which every man will be free to do what he alone is qualified and able to do."
0.10 - Letters to a Young Captain, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
by renunciation or by perfect satisfaction of desire that
one can have the total experience of God.2 But isn't
the second method (perfect satisfaction of desire) very
dangerous, for is it possible to satisfy man's desire?
Elsewhere he says explicitly that it is useless to try to satisfy
desire, for desire is insatiable and can never be satisfied.
What he writes ought not to be taken separately; it is always
--
"Only by perfect renunciation of desire or by perfect satisfaction of desire can the
utter embrace of God be experienced, for in both ways the essential precondition is
effected, - desire perishes."
Thoughts and Aphorisms, in SABCL, Vol. 17, p. 89.
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surmount all the weaknesses and desires of the lower, ignorant
being.
--
that the desire to see films, which is so imperious in some people,
is just as pernicious as any other desire.
11 May 1963
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Divine without desiring a personal result from what one does.
Certainly at the beginning, when the Divine is only a word or
--
material comfort and to take one's desires for needs - in other
words, self-deception. Now, if you have a fan and wish to use
--
Joy belongs to the desireless man.
Pleasure is within the reach of all living beings, but with its
--
practises it. There are desireless men who are not pursuing any
yoga.
--
overcome desires, and aspire to find your psychic being and unite
with it. Physically, continue with what you are doing, develop
--
for the body, its desires and satisfactions, those for whom the
truth begins and ends with the body, it is evident that food is of
--
an enlightened body, balanced and free from all vital desire and
mental preconception, is capable of knowing what it needs in
--
What is the most effective way of overcoming desires
and attachments: to cut them off all at one stroke, even
--
yourself that you have overcome your desires, whereas at best
you are merely sitting on them - they remain repressed in the
--
that is free of all desire and attachment because it is under the
influence of the divine Light and Force. It is a long and exacting
--
Japa such as you describe it cannot have much effect except
to create a tamasic dullness, which should not be mistaken for
--
longer an object of desire.
As long as union with the Divine is not the thing for which
--
matter? Am I free of all desire and all ego?"
And since the answer to all these questions will be the same,
--
The descent of the Supermind, which You announced on the 29th of February 1956, is still only
"something one hears about" for most people here.
--
The descent of the forerunners of the supramental forces is a
fact (not a prediction). The incapacity of the vast majority of
--
in the Ignorance, assumes the form of vital desires is the
same which, in its pure form, constitutes the dynamis
--
say that aspiration is a purified desire?
One can say whatever one likes, provided one knows what one
--
"No real peace can be till the heart of man deserves peace;
the law of Vishnu cannot prevail till the debt to Rudra is paid.
--
me and keep me in such happiness, I who so little deserve
it?"
--
the descent of the Truth, or is it the result of the action
Sri Aurobindo, Essays on the Gita, SABCL, Vol. 13, p. 372.
--
of hostile forces in revolt against this descent? And what
place does India occupy in all this?
--
(1) Is this change always violent and destructive,
such as a revolution or a war?
--
a revolution, is it the sign of a descent of the Truth?
Not necessarily. Human folly takes advantage of the slightest
--
From your letter I can see that you really have a great desire to
accept the invitation... I do not want, then, to deprive you of
--
cannot describe, but something we can feel and can more and
more become. A Something that is more perfect than all the
--
our aspirations are not tainted by vital desire, though
they may seem right to our common sense?
--
be sure of the presence of desire.
12 October 1966
--
In the story You wrote, "The Virtues", You describe
several virtues. Which is the most necessary?
--
they deserve it or not.
The Grace does not recognise the right of suffering to exist
01.11 - The Basis of Unity, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
In India, it is well known, the diversity of affiliations is colossal, sui generis. Two major affiliations have today almost cut the country into two; and desperate remedies are suggested which are worse than the malady itself, as they may kill the patient outright. If it is so, it is, I repeat, the mediaeval spirit that is at:, the bottom of the trouble.
The rise of this spirit in modern times and conditions is a phenomenon that has to be explained and faced: it is a ghost that has come out of the past and has got to be laid and laid for good. First of all, it is a reaction from modernism; it is a reaction from the modernist denial of certain fundamental and eternal truths, of God, soul, and immortality: it is a reaction from the modernist affirmation of the mere economic man. And it is also a defensive gesture of a particular complex of consciousness that has grown and lives powerfully and now apprehends expurgation and elimination.
01.12 - Goethe, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Thus, as sanctioned by God, there is a competition, a wager between man and Satan. The pact between the parties is this that, on the one hand, Satan will serve man here in life upon earth, and on the other hand, in return, man will have to serve Satan there, on the other side of life. That is to say, Satan will give the whole world to man to enjoy, man will have to give Satan only his soul. Man in his ignorance says he does not care for his soul, does not know of a there or elsewhere: he will be satisfied if he gets what he wants upon earth. That, evidently, is the demand of what is familiarly known as life-force (lan vital): the utmost fulfilment of the life-force is what man stands for, although the full significance of the movement may not be clear to him or even to Satan at the moment. For life-force does not necessarily drag man down, as its grand finale as it were, into hellhowever much Satan might wish it to be so. In what way, we shall see presently. Now Satan promises man all that he would desire and even more: he would give him his fill so' that he will ask for no more. Man takes up the challenge and declares that his hunger is insatiable, whatever Satan can bring to it, it will take in and press on: satisfaction and satiety will never come in his way. Satan thinks he knows better, for he is armed with a master weapon to lay man low and make him cry halt!
Love Human and Love Divine
01.13 - T. S. Eliot: Four Quartets, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The dove descending breaks the air
With flame of incan descent terror
--
The only hope, or else despair
Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre
--
descend lower, descend only
Into the world of perpetual solitude,. . . .
--
And destitution of all property,
desiccation of the world of sense,
Evacuation of the world of fancy,
--
Yes, that is the condition demanded, an entire vacuity in which nothing moves. That is the real Dark Night of the Soul. It is then only that the Grace leans down and descends, then only beams in the sweet Light of lights. Eliot has expressed the experience in these lines of rare beauty and sincerity :
Time and the bell have buried the day,
--
But Thompson was not an intellectual, his doubts and despondencies were not of the mental order, he was a boiling, swelling life-surge, a geyser, a volcano. He, too, crossed the Night and saw the light of Day, but in a different way. Well, I he did not march into the day, it was the Day that marched I into him! Yes, the Divine Grace came and seized him from behind with violence. A modern, a modernist consciousness cannot expect that indulgence. God meets him only halfway, he has to work up himself the other half. He has laid so many demands and conditions: the knots in his case are not cut asunder but slowly disengaged.
The modern temper is especially partial to harmony: it cannot assert and reject unilaterally and categorically, it wishes to go round an object and view all its si des; it asks for a synthesis and reconciliation of differences and contraries. Two major chords of life-experience that demand accord are Life and Death, Time and Eternity. Indeed, the problem of Time hangs heavy on the human consciousness. It has touched to the quick philosophers and sages in all ages and climes; it is the great question that confronts the spiritual seeker, the riddle that the Sphinx of life puts to the journeying soul for solution.
A modern Neo-Brahmin, Aldous Huxley, has given a solution of the problem in his now famous Shakespearean apothegm, "Time must have a stop". That is an old-world solution rediscovered by the modern mind in and through the ravages of Time's storm and stress. It means, salvation lies, after all, beyond the flow of Time, one must free oneself from the vicious and unending circle of mortal and mundane life. As the Rajayogi controls and holds his breath, stills all life-movement and realises a dead-stop of consciousness (Samadhi), even so one must control and stop all secular movements in oneself and attain a timeless stillness and vacancy in which alone the true spiritual light and life can descend and manifest. That is the age-long and ancient solution to which the Neo-Brahmin as well the Neo-Christian adheres.
Eliot seems to demur, however, and does not go to that extreme length. He wishes to go beyond, but to find out the source and matrix of the here below. As I said, he seeks a synthesis and not a mere transcendence: the transcendence is indeed a part of the synthesis, the other part is furnished by an immanence. He does not cut away altogether from Time, but reaches its outermost limit, its rim, its summit, where it stops, not altogether annihilated, but held in suspended animation. That is the "still point" to which he refers in the following lines:
--
Through the dark cold and the empty desolation,
The wave cry, the wind cry, the vast waters
--
Always assail them. The Word in the desert
Is most attacked by voices of temptation,16
01.14 - Nicholas Roerich, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The call that stirred a Western soul, made him a wanderer over the world in quest of the Holy Grail and finally lodged him in the Home of the Snows is symbolic of a more than individual destiny. It is representative of the secret history of a whole culture and civilisation that have been ruling humanity for some centuries, its inner want and need and hankering and fulfilment. The West shall come to the East and be reborn. That is the prophecy of occult seers and sages.
I speak of Roerich as a Western soul, but more precisely perhaps he is a soul of the mid-region (as also in another sense we shall see subsequently) intermediary between the East and the West. His external make-up had all the characteristic elements of the Western culture, but his mind and temperament, his inner soul was oriental. And yet it was not the calm luminous staticancientsoul that an Indian or a Chinese sage is; it is a nomad soul, newly awakened, young and fresh and ardent, something primitive, pulsating with the unspoilt green sap of life something in the manner of Whitman. And that makes him all the more representative of the young and ardent West yearning for the light that was never on sea or land.
0.11 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
and despair, the Divine too will be farther from you or
nearer, depending on what you believe. The attitude is
--
yoga the chakras open from above by the descent of the
Mother's force.
--
then the consciousness descends through all the states of being
down to the most material, bringing the Divine Force with it so
--
speaks of "the Truth that seeks to descend upon us" and
"is already there within us". Please explain this paradox
--
the greater the Truth that seeks to descend upon us, because it is already there within us
and calls for its release from the covering that conceals it in manifested Nature."
--
According to my experience, one should not try to destroy or
to eliminate. One should concentrate all one's effort on building up and strengthening the true consciousness, which will
--
Stretched out in love desire her rebel sons."9
What had the white gods missed?
--
Yes, it is a very exact description.
7 November 1968
--
"The days were travellers on a destined road,
The nights companions of his musing spirit."15
0.12 - Letters to a Student, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
the habit of silent concentration and descent into the depths of
one's being.
--
is much slower than the vital desire for progress and the mental
will for progress. And if the vital and the mind are left in charge
of action, they simply harass the body, destroy its balance and
upset its health.
--
Is our vital formed solely of desires, selfish feelings,
etc., or is there something good in it too?
--
When the sun sets, a kind of peace descends on earth and this
peace is helpful for sleep.
When the sun rises, a vigorous energy descends on earth and
this energy is helpful for work.
0.13 - Letters to a Student, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
"love": all the desires, attractions, vital exchanges, sexual relations, attachments, even friendships, and many other things
besi des.
--
What is the difference between desire and aspiration,
and between selfishness and self-realisation?
--
vibration of desire, which is passionate, dark and often violent.
Selfishness means wanting everything for oneself, understanding nothing but oneself, caring for others only insofar
--
The first step is to find, deep within oneself, behind the desires
and impulses, a luminous consciousness which is always present
0.14 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The ego was necessary to form the individual being. Its destruction is therefore difficult. There is a much better, though more
difficult solution: to transform it and make it an instrument of
--
The mind describes and explains.
The psychic sees and understands.
--
O Lord, awaken in me the ardent desire to know You.
I aspire to consecrate my life to Your service.
--
path of the future despite its new demands. The pettinesses once
tolerable, are tolerable no longer. We must widen ourselves to
--
come from the absence of personal desires.
One could take as a programme:
--
vital and the physical have to be free of all desire - otherwise
one is courting disaster.
--
conform to their desires - therefore they suffer and are unhappy.
It is only when one gives oneself in all sincerity to the Divine
--
abolition of desires.
The psychic being knows this with certainty; so, by uniting
--
not to be subject to one's desires and mistake them for the truth
of one's being.
0 1954-08-25 - what is this personality? and when will she come?, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
(Mother reads to the disciples an excerpt from Sri Aurobindos THE MOTHER, in which he describes the different aspects of the Creative Powerwhat is India is called the Shakti, or the Motherwhich have presided over universal evolution.)
There are other great Personalities of the Divine Mother, but they were more difficult to bring down and have not stood out in front with so much prominence in the evolution of the earth-spirit. There are among them Presences indispensable for the supramental realization,most of all one who is her Personality of that mysterious and powerful ecstasy and Ananda1 which flows from a supreme divine Love, the Ananda that alone can heal the gulf between the highest heights of the supramental spirit and the lowest abysses of Matter, the Ananda that holds the key of a wonderful divines Life and even now supports from its secrecies the work of all the other Powers of the universe.
--
She has come, bringing with Her a splendor of power and love, an intensity of divine joy heretofore unknown to the Earth. The physical atmosphere has been completely changed by her descent, permeated with new and marvelous possibilities.
But if She is ever to reside and act here, She has to find at least a minimal receptivity, at least one human being with the required vital and physical qualities, a kind of super-Parsifal gifted with an innate and integral purity, yet possessing at the same time a body strong enough and poised enough to bear unwaveringly the intensity of the Ananda She brings.
--
This is borne out by the fact that her descent took place at a given moment and for two or three weeks the atmospherenot only of the Ashram but of the Earthwas so highly charged with such a power of such an intense divine Bliss creating so marvelous a force that things difficult to do before could be done almost instantly.
There were repercussions the world over. But I dont believe that a single one of you noticed it you cannot even tell me when it happened, can you?
--
If you look at yourselves straight in the face and you see what you are, then if by chance you should resolve to But what really astounds me is that you dont even seem to feel an intense NEED to do this! But how can we know? Because you DO know, you have been told over and over again, it has been drummed into your heads. You KNOW that you have a divine consciousness within you. And yet you can go on sleeping night after night, playing day after day, doing your lessons ad infinitum and still not be not have a BURNING desire and will to come into contact with yourselves!With yourselves, yes, the you just there, inside (motion towards the center of the chest) Really, its beyond me!
As soon as I found outand no one told me, I found out through an experienceas soon as I found out that there was a discovery to be made within myself, well, it became THE MOST IMPORTANT thing in the world. It took precedence over everything else!
0 1955-04-04, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
By continuing this daily little ant-like struggle and by having to confront the same desires, the same distractions every day, it seems to me I am wasting my energy in vain. Sri Aurobindos Yoga, which is meant to include life, is so difficult that one should come to it only after having already established the solid base of a concrete divine realization. That is why I want to ask you if I should not withdraw for a certain time, to Almora,3 for example, to Brewsters place,4 to live in solitude, silence, meditation, far away from people, work and temptations, until a beginning of Light and Realization is concretized in me. Once this solid base is acquired, it would be easier for me to resume my work and the struggle here for the true transformation of the outer being. But to want to transform this outer being without having fully illumined the inner being seems to me to be putting the cart before the horse, or at least condemning myself to a pitiless and endless battle in which the best of my forces are fruitlessly consumed.
In all sincerity, I must say that when I was at Brewsters place in Almora, I felt very near to that state in which the Light must surge forth. I quite understand the imperfection of this process, which involves fleeing from difficulties, but this would only be a stage, a strategic retreat, as it were.
Mother, this is not a vital desire seeking to divert me from the sadhana, for my life has no other meaning than to seek the divine, but it seems to be the only solution that could bring about some progress and get me out of this lukewarm slump in which I have been living day after day. I cannot be satisfied living merely one hour a day, when I see you.
I know that you do not like to write, Mother, but couldnt you say in a few words if you approve of my project or what I should do? In spite of all my rebellions and discouragements and resistances, I am your child. O Mother, help me!
0 1955-06-09, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Mother, I cannot say that it is a nostalgia for the outside world that is drawing me backwards nor some attachment to a personal form of life, nor even some vital desire seeking its own satisfaction. That old world no longer attracts me, and I do not see at all what I would do there. Yet something is standing in my way.
If only I could see a distinct error blocking my path which I could clearly attack But I feel that I am not responsible, that it is not my personal fault if I remain without aspiration, stagnating. I feel like a battlefield of contending forces that are beyond me and against which I can do NOTHING. Oh Mother, it is not an excuse for a lack of will, or at least I dont think so I profoundly feel like a helpless toy, totally helpless.
0 1956-05-02, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
There was indeed a possibility to enter into contact with the Thing individuallythis was even what Sri Aurobindo had described as being the necessary procedure: a certain number of people would enter into contact with this Force through their inner effort and their aspiration. We had called it the ascent towards the Supermind. And IF and when they had touched the Supermind through an inner ascent (that is, by freeing themselves from the material consciousness), they should have recognized it SPONTANEOUSLY as soon as it came. But a preliminary contact was indispensableif you have never touched it, how can you recognize it?
Thats how the universal movement works (I read this to you a few days ago): through their inner effort and inner progress, certain individuals, who are the pioneers, the forerunners, enter into communication with the new Force which is to manifest, and they receive it in themselves. And because a number of calls like this surge forth, the thing becomes possible, and the era, the time, the moment for the manifestation comes. This is how it happened and the Manifestation took place.
--
Mother, very recently a text has been circulating which says, What has just now happened, with this Victory, is not a descent but a manifestation. And it is no longer merely an individual event: the Supermind has sprung forth into the universal play.
Yes, yes, yes! I indeed said all that. I acknowledge it. And so?
--
What I call a descent is this: first of all, the consciousness climbs in ascent, then you catch the Thing up above and re descend with it. This is an INDIVIDUAL event.
When this individual event has taken place sufficiently to allow a more general possibility to emerge, it is no longer a descent but a manifestation.
What I call a descent is the individual movement in an individual consciousness. But when a new world is manifesting in an old worldas when similarly the mind spread over the earth I call it a manifestation.
You may call it whatever you like, it makes no difference to me, but we must understand each other.
What I call a descent takes place in the individual consciousness. In the same way, we speak of ascent (there is no ascent really, there is no high or low, no direction: its all a manner of speaking)we speak of ascent when we feel ourselves rising up towards something, and we call it a descent when, after having caught this thing, we bring it down into ourselves.
But when the doors are opened and the flood pours in, it can no longer be called a descent: it is a Force that spreads everywhere. Understood? Ah!
I dont care what words you use. I do not essentially insist upon my words, but I explain them to you, and its better to agree on words beforehand, for otherwise theres no end to explanations.
0 1956-10-28, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
In this state, I am ceaselessly thinking of my forest in Guiana or of my travels through Africa and the ardor that filled me with life in those days. I seem to need to have my goal before me and to walk towards it. Outer difficulties also seem to help me resolve my inner problems: there is a kind of need in me for the elements the sea, the forest, the desert for a milieu with which I can wrestle and through which I can grow. Here, I seem to lack a dynamic point of leverage. Here, in the everyday routine, everything seems to be falling apart in me. Should I not return to my forest in Guiana?
Mother, I implore you, in the name of whatever led me to you in the first place, give me the strength to do WHAT HAS TO BE DONE. You who see and who can, decide for me. You are my Mother. Whatever my shortcomings, my difficulties, I feel I am so deeply your child.
--
You are now beyond the stage when the virgin forest and the desert can be useful for your growth. They had put you in contact with a life vaster than your own and they widened the limits of your consciousness. But now you need something else.
So far, your whole life has revolved around yourself; all you have done, even the apparently most disinterested or least egoistic act, has been done with a view to your own personal growth or illumination. It is time to live for something other than yourself, something other than your own individuality.
0 1956-12-12, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Forgive me, Mother, for loving you so poorly, for giving myself so badly. Mother, you are my only hope, all the rest in me is utter despair.
Your child,
0 1956-12-26, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Mother, this is the problem around which I have desperately been turning in circles. What is the truth of my destiny? Is it that which is urging me so strongly to leave, or that which is struggling against my freedom? For ultimately, sincerely, what I want is to fulfill my lifes truth. If I have ever had a will, then it is: LET BE WHAT MUST BE. Mother, how can one truly know? Is this drive, this very old and very CLEAR urge in me, false??
Your child,
0 1957-01-18, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
The conflict that is tearing me apart is between this shadowy part of a past that does not want to die, and the new light. I wonder if, rather than escaping to some desert, it would not be wiser to resolve this conflict by objectify it, by writing this book I spoke to you about.
But I would like to know whether it is really useful for me to write this book, or whether it is not just some inferior task, a makeshift.
0 1957-04-09, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
In your ignorance, you created a phantom of your destiny, and then, out of this non-existent ghost, you made a hobgoblin around which all the resistances of your outer nature have crystallized.
It is a double ignorance:
in the universe, there are notthere cannot betwo similar destinies.
each ones destiny is inevitably fulfilled, but the nearer one is to the Divine, the more does this destiny assume its divine qualities.
I am saying all this so that you do not hypnotize yourself further with some imaginary and groundless possibility.
0 1957-07-03, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
This vision took place early in the night and woke me up with a rather unpleasant feeling. Then I fell back to sleep and forgot about it; but a little while ago, when I was thinking of the question put to me, it returned. It returned with a great intensity and so imperatively that now, just as I wanted to tell you what kind of collectivity we wish to realize according to the ideal described by Sri Aurobindo in the last chapter of The Life Divinea gnostic, supramental collectivity, the only kind that can do Sri Aurobindos integral yoga and be realized physically in a progressive collective body becoming more and more divine the recollection of this vision became so imperative that I couldnt speak.
Its symbolism was very clear, though of quite a familiar nature, as it were, and because of its very familiarity, unmistakable in its realism Were I to tell you all the details, you would probably not even be able to follow: it was rather intricate. It was a kind of (how can I express it?)an immense hotel where all the terrestrial possibilities were lodged in different apartments. And it was all in a constant state of transformation: parts or entire wings of the building were suddenly torn down and rebuilt while people were still living in them, such that if you went off somewhere within the immense hotel itself, you ran the risk of no longer finding your room when you wanted to return to it, for it might have been torn down and was being rebuilt according to another plan! It was orderly, it was organized yet there was this fantastic chaos which I mentioned. And all this was a symbola symbol that certainly applies to what Sri Aurobindo has written here1 regarding the necessity for the transformation of the body, the type of transformation that has to take place for life to become a divine life.
0 1957-10-17, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
We live perennially with a burden on our shoulders, something that bows our heads down, and we feel pulled, led by all kinds of external forces, we dont know by whom or what, nor where tothis is what men call Fate, destiny. When you do yoga, one of the first experiences the experience of the kundalini, as it is called here in Indiais precisely one in which the consciousness rises, breaks through this hard lid, here, at the crown of the head, and at last you emerge into the Light. Then you see, you know, you decide and you realizedifficulties may still remain, but truly speaking one is above them. Well, as a result of the supramental manifestation, it is THIS experience that came into the body. The body straightened its head up and felt its freedom, its independence.
During the flu epidemic, for example, I spent every day in the midst of people who were germ carriers. And one day, I clearly felt that the body had decided not to catch this flu. It asserted its autonomy. You see, it was not a question of the higher Will deciding, no. It didnt take place in the highest consciousness: the body itself decided. When you are way above in your consciousness, you see things, you know things; but in actual fact, once you descend again into matter, it is like water running through sand. In this respect, things have changed, the body has a DIRECT power, independent of any outer intervention. Even though it is barely visible, I consider this to be a very important result.
And this new vibration in the body has allowed me to understand the mechanism of the transformation. It is not something that comes from a higher Will, not a higher consciousness that imposes itself upon the body: it is the body itself awakening in its cells, a freedom of the cells themselves, an absolutely new vibration that sets disorders righteven disorders that existed prior to the supramental manifestation.
Naturally, all this is a gradual process, but I am hopeful that little by little this new consciousness will grow, gain ground and victoriously resist the old forces of destruction and annihilation, and this Fatality we believed to be so inexorable.
***
0 1957-12-21, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
This physical consciousness records all it sees, all your reactions, your thoughts, all the factswithout preference, without prejudice, without personal will. Nothing escapes it. Its work is almost mechanical. Therefore I know what to tell or to ask you according to the integral truth of your being and its present possibilities. Ordinarily, in the normal man, the physical consciousness does not see things as they are, for three reasons: because of ignorance, because of preference, and because of an egoistic will. You color what you see, eliminate what displeases you. In short, you see only what you desire to see.
Now, I recently had a very striking experience: a discrepancy occurred between my physical consciousness and the consciousness of the world. In some instances decisions made in the Light and the Truth produced unexpected results, upheavals in the consciousness of others that were neither foreseen nor desired, and I did not understand. No matter how hard I tried, I could not understand and I emphasize this word understand. At last, I had to leave my highest consciousness and pull myself down into the physical consciousness to find out what was happening. And there, in my head, I saw what appeared to be a little cell bursting, and suddenly I understood: the recording had been defective. The physical consciousness had neglected to register certain of your lower reactions. It could not have been through preference or through personal will (these things were eliminated from my consciousness long, long ago). But I saw that this most material consciousness was already completely permeated with the transforming supramental truth, and it could no longer follow the rhythm of normal life. It was much more attuned to the true consciousness than to the world! I couldnt possibly blame it for lagging behind; on the contrary, it was in front, too far ahead! There was a discrepancy between the rhythm of the transformation of my being and the worlds own rhythm. The supramental action on the world is slow, it does not act directlyit acts by infiltration, by traversing the successive layers, and the results are slow to come about. So I had to pull myself violently down in order to wait for the others.
One must at times know how not to know.
This experience showed me once more the necessity to be perfectly humble before the Lord. It is not enough merely to rise to the heights, to the ethereal planes of consciousness: these planes have also to descend into matter and illuminate it. Otherwise, nothing is really done. One must have the patience to establish the communication between the high and the low. I am like a tempest, a hurricaneif I listened to myself, I would tear into the future, and everything would go flying! But then, there would no longer be any communication with the rest.
One must have the patience to wait.
0 1958-01-01, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
During one of our classes (October 30, 1957), I spoke of the limitless abundance of Nature, this tireless Creatrice who takes the multitude of forms, mixes them together, separates them again and reforms them, again undoes them, again destroys them, in order to move on to ever new combinations. As I said, it is a huge cauldron. Things get churned up in it and somehow something emerges; if its defective, it is thrown back in and something else is taken out One form, two forms or a hundred forms make no difference to her, there are thousands upon thousands of formsand one year, a hundred years, a thousand years, millions of years, what difference does it make? Eternity lies before her! She quite obviously enjoys herself and is in no hurry. If you speak to her of pressing on or of rushing through some part of her work or other, her reply is always the same: But what for? Why? Arent you enjoying it?
The evening I told you these things, I totally identified myself with Nature and I entered into her play. And this movement of identification brought forth a response, a new kind of intimacy between Nature and myself, a long movement of drawing ever nearer which culminated in an experience that came on November 8.
--
I have one thing to add: we must not misinterpret the meaning of this experience and imagine that henceforth everything will take place without difficulties or always in accordance with our personal desires. It is not at this level. It does not mean that when we do not want it to rain, it will not rain! Or when we want some event to take place in the world, it will immediately take place, or that all difficulties will be abolished and everything will be like a fairy tale. It is not like that. It is something more profound. Nature has accepted into her play of forces the newly manifested Force and has included it in her movements. But as always, the movements of Nature take place on a scale infinitely surpassing the human scale and invisible to the ordinary human consciousness. It is more of an inner, psychological possibility that has been born in the world than a spectacular change in earthly events.
I mention this because you might be tempted to believe that fairy tales are going to be realized upon earth. The time has not yet come.
0 1958-02-03b - The Supramental Ship, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I found myself upon an immense ship, which is the symbolic representation of the place where this work is being carried out. This ship, as big as a city, is thoroughly organized, and it had certainly already been functioning for quite some time, for its organization was fully developed. It is the place where people destined for the supramental life are being trained. These people (or at least a part of their being) had already undergone a supramental transformation because the ship itself and all that was aboard was neither material nor subtle-physical, neither vital nor mental: it was a supramental substance. This substance itself was of the most material supramental, the supramental substance nearest the physical world, the first to manifest. The light was a blend of red and gold, forming a uniform substance of luminous orange. Everything was like that the light was like that, the people were like thateverything had this color, in varying sha des, however, which enabled things to be distinguished from one another. The overall impression was of a shadowless world: there were sha des, but no shadows. The atmosphere was full of joy, calm, order; everything worked smoothly and silently. At the same time, I could see all the details of the education, the training in all domains by which the people on board were being prepared.
This immense ship had just arrived at the shore of the supramental world, and a first batch of people destined to become the future inhabitants of the supramental world were about to disembark. Everything was arranged for this first landing. A certain number of very tall beings were posted on the wharf. They were not human beings and never before had they been men. Nor were they permanent inhabitants of the supramental world. They had been delegated from above and posted there to control and supervise the landing. I was in charge of all this since the beginning and throughout. I myself had prepared all the groups. I was standing on the bridge of the ship, calling the groups forward one by one and having them disembark on the shore. The tall beings posted there seemed to be reviewing those who were disembarking, allowing those who were ready to go ashore and sending back those who were not and who had to continue their training aboard the ship. While standing there watching everyone, that part of my consciousness coming from here became extremely interested: it wanted to see, to identify all the people, to see how they had changed and to find out who had been taken immediately as well as those who had to remain and continue their training. After awhile, as I was observing, I began to feel pulled backwards and that my body was being awakened by a consciousness or a person from here1and in my consciousness, I protested: No, no, not yet! Not yet! I want to see whos there! I was watching all this and noting it with intense interest It went on like that until, suddenly, the clock here began striking three, which violently jerked me back. There was the sensation of a sudden fall into my body. I came back with a shock, but since I had been called back very suddenly, all my memory was still intact. I remained quiet and still until I could bring back the whole experience and preserve it.
The nature of objects on this ship was not that which we know upon earth; for example, the clothes were not made of cloth, and this thing that resembled cloth was not manufacturedit was a part of the body, made of the same substance that took on different forms. It had a kind of plasticity. When a change had to be made, it was done not by artificial and outer means but by an inner working, by a working of the consciousness that gave the substance its form or appearance. Life created its own forms. There was ONE SINGLE substance in all things; it changed the nature of its vibration according to the needs or uses.
--
A true, sincere, spontaneous life, as in the supramental world, is a springing forth of things through the fact of conscious will, a power over substance that shapes this substance according to what we decide it should be. And he who has this power and this knowledge can obtain whatever he wants, whereas he who does not has no artificial means of getting what he desires.
In ordinary life, EVERYTHING is artificial. Depending upon the chance of your birth or circumstances, you have a more or less high position or a more or less comfortable life, not because it is the spontaneous, natural and sincere expression of your way of being and of your inner need, but because the fortuity of lifes circumstances has placed you in contact with these things. An absolutely worthless man may be in a very high position, and a man who might have marvelous capacities of creation and organization may find himself toiling in a quite limited and inferior position, whereas he would be a wholly useful individual if the world were sincere.
0 1958-02-25, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Some people come to see me in utter despair, in tears, in what they call terrible moral suffering; when I see them like that I slightly shift the needle in that part of my consciousness containing all of you, and when they leave, they are completely relieved. It is just like a compass needle I slightly shift the needle in my consciousness, and its over. Naturally, through habit, it returns later on. But these are mere soap bubbles.
I too have known suffering, but there was always a part of me that knew how to hold itself back and remain aloof.
The only thing in the world that still appears intolerable to me now is all physical deterioration, physical suffering, the ugliness the powerlessness to express this capacity of beauty inherent in every being. But this, too, will be conquered one day. Here, too the power will come one day to shift the needle a little. Only, one has to climb higher in consciousness: the deeper into matter you want to descend, the higher must you ascend in consciousness.
It will take time. Sri Aurobindo was surely right when he spoke of a few centuries.
0 1958-04-03, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Mother, I am seeing all the mean pettiness that obstructs your divine work. destroy my smallness and take me unto you. May I be sincere, integrally sincere.
With infinite gratitude, I am your child.
0 1958-05-10, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
When it is a question of movements like anger, desire, etc., you recognize that they are wrong and must disappear, but when material laws are in questionlaws of the body, for example, its needs, its health, its nourishment, all those things they have such a solid, compact, established and concrete reality that it appears absolutely unquestionable.
Well, to be able to cure that, which of all the obstacles is the greatest (I mean the habit of putting spiritual life on one side and material life on the other, of acknowledging the right of material laws to exist), one must make a resolution never to legitimize any of these movements, at any cost.
0 1958-06-06 - Supramental Ship, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
It is the result of the descent of the supramental substance into Matter. Only this substancewhat it has put into physical Mattercould have made it possible. It is a new ferment. From the material standpoint, it removes from physical Matter its tamas, the heaviness of its unconsciousness, and from the psychological standpoint, its ignorance and its falsehood. Matter is subtilized. But it has surely come only as a first experience to show how it will be.
It is truly a state of absolute omniscience and omnipotence in the body which changes all the vibrations around it.
--
Its action will be somewhat similar to what is described in the Last Judgment, which is an entirely symbolic expression of something that makes us discern between what belongs to the world of falsehood which is destined to disappear and what belongs to this same world of ignorance and inertia but is transformable. One will go to one side and the other to the other side. All that is transformable will be permeated more and more with this new substance and this new consciousness to such an extent that it will rise towards it and serve as a link between the two but all that belongs incorrigibly to falsehood and ignorance will disappear. This was also prophesied in the Gita: among what we call the hostile or anti-divine forces, those capable of being transformed will be uplifted and go off towards the new consciousness, whereas all that is irrevocably in darkness or belongs to an evil will shall be destroyed and vanish from the Universe. And a whole part of humanity that has responded to these forces rather too zealously will certainly vanish with them. And this is what was expressed in this concept of the Last Judgment.
May 1, 1958.
0 1958-07-05, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I have just explained to Z my program for getting out of the present difficulties,1 and I think if he has not concluded that I am totally mad, it is because he has an immense respect for me! But as always in these cases, there is such a joy in me, such an exultation: all the cells are dancing. I understand why people begin singing, dancing, etc. It takes a formidable power to remain like that (gesture of solidity): there is such a desire in the throat to sing!
***
0 1958-07-06, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Health naturally depends upon the sadhana; but even that is not so sure: there are other factors. As for the second, the power over government, Sri Aurobindo looked at it, studied it, considered it very carefully, and finally he told me, There is only one way to have that power: it is TO BE the government. One can influence individuals, one can transmit the will to them, but their hands are tied. In a government, there is no one individual, nor even several who is all-powerful and who can decide things. One must be the government oneself and give it the desired orientation.
For the last, for money, he told me, I still dont know exactly what it depends on. Then one day I entered into trance with this idea in mind, and after a certain journey I came to a place like a subterranean grotto (which means that it is in the subconscient, or perhaps even in the inconscient) which was the source, the place and the power over money. I was about to enter into this grotto (a kind of inner cave) when I saw, coiled and upright, an immense serpent, like an all black python, formidable, as big as a seven-story house, who said, You cannot pass!Why not? Let me pass!Myself, I would let you pass, but if I did, they would immediately destroy me.Who, then, is this they?They are the asuric4 powers who rule over money. They have put me here to guard the entrance, precisely so that you may not enter.And what is it that would give one the power to enter? Then he told me something like this: I heard (that is, he himself had no special knowledge, but it was something he had heard from his masters, those who ruled over him), I heard that he who will have a total power over the human sexual impulses (not merely in himself, but a universal power that is, a power enabling him to control this everywhere, among all men) will have the right to enter. In other words, these forces would not be able to prevent him from entering.
A personal realization is very easy, it is nothing at all; a personal realization is one thing, but the power to control it among all men that is, to control or master such movements at will, everywhereis quite another. I dont believe that this condition has been fulfilled. If what the serpent said is true and if this is really what will vanquish these hostile forces that rule over money, well then, it has not been fulfilled.
--
But yesterday, in fact, I was looking (with all these mantras and these prayers and this whole vibration that has descended into the atmosphere, creating a state of constant calling in the atmosphere), and I remembered the old movements and how everything now has changed! I was also thinking of the old disciplines, one of which is to say, I am That.7 People were told to sit in meditation and repeat, I am That, to reach an identification. And it all seemed to me so obsolete, so childish, but at the same time a part of the whole. I looked, and it seemed so absurd to sit in meditation and say, I am That! I, what is this I who is That; what is this I, where is it? I was trying to find it, and I saw a tiny, microscopic point (to see it would almost require some gigantic instrument), a tiny, obscure point in an im-men-sity of Light, and that little point was the body. At the same timeit was absolutely simultaneous I saw the Presence of the Supreme as a very, very, very, VERY immense Being, within which was I in an attitude of (I was only a sensation, you see), an attitude (gesture of surrender) like this. There were no limits, yet at the same time, one felt the joy of being permeated, enveloped and of being able to widen, widen, widen indefinitelyto widen the whole being, from the highest consciousness to the most material consciousness. And then, at the same time, to look at this body and to see every cell, every atom vibrating with a divine, radiant Presence with all its Consciousness, all its Power, all its Will, all its Loveall, all, really and a joy! An extraordinary joy. And one did not disturb the other, nothing was contradictory and everything was felt at the same time. That was when I said, But truly! This body had to have the training it has had for more than seventy years to be able to bear all that without starting to cry out or dance or leap up or whatever it might be! No, it was calm (it was exultant, but it was very calm), and it remained in control of its movements and its words. In spite of the fact that it was really living in another world, it could apparently act normal due to this strenuous training in self-control by the REASONby the reasonover the whole being, which has tamed it and given it such a great cohesive power that I can BE in the experience, I can LIVE this experience, and at the same time respond with the most amiable of smiles to the most idiotic questions!
And then, it always ends in the same way, by a canticle to the action of the grace: O, Lord! You are truly marvelous! All the experiences I have needed to pass through You have given to me, all the things I needed to do to make this body ready You have made me do, and always with the feeling that it was You who was making me do itand with the universal disapproval of all the right-minded humanity!
0 1958-07-23, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
In the final analysis, seeing the world such as it is and seems meant to be irremediably, human intellect has decided that this universe must be an error of God and that the manifestation or creation is certainly the result of a desire, the desire to manifest, know oneself, enjoy oneself. So the only thing to do is to put an end to this error as soon as possible by refusing to cling to desire and its fatal consequences.
But the Supreme Lord answers that the comedy is not entirely played out, and He adds: Wait for the last act; undoubtedly you will change your mind.
0 1958-08-29, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
S, who was sitting in front of me, spontaneously asked me afterwards what I had been holding in my hands during the meditation, and she described it thus: It was round, very soft and luminous like the moon.
The Swami brought back various objects and souvenirs from the Himalayas which he presented to Mother.
0 1958-08-30, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
It was just at four oclock in the morning, and it woke me up. It was exactly like this I was apparently in my bathroom, and I had to open the door between the bathroom and Sri Aurobindos room; the moment I put my hand on the doorknob, I knew with an absolute certainty that destruction was awaiting me behind the door. It had the form or image of those great invaders of India, those who had swooped down upon India and destroyed everything in their wake But it was only an impression.
So the door had to be opened and I felt and said, Lord, may your will be done. I opened the door and behind it was Z1 in the same clothes he wears when he drives, and he was leaning against one of those big tractor tiresor perhaps he was holding it at the same time. I was so dumbfounded that I woke up. It took me a little while to be able to understand what it might mean, and afterwards Even now, I still dont know What was I? Was I India, or was I the world? I dont know. And what did Z represent? It was as imperative and clear, as positive and absolute as could be: the certitude that destruction was behind the door, that it was inevitable. And it had the form of those great Tartar or Mongol invaders, those people who came from the North and invaded India, who pillaged everything Thats what it was like. But what Z was doing there I dont know. What does he represent? The first impulse was to tell Abhay Singh, Forbid him to drive the tractor.
(Pavitra:) What was he holding in his hands, Mother?
0 1958-10-04, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
In the universe there is an inexhaustible source of energy that asks only to be replenished; if you know how to go about it, it is replenished. Instead of draining life and the energies of our earth and making of it something parched and inert, we must know the practical exercise for replenishing the energy constantly. And these are not just words; I know how its to be done, and science is in the process of thoroughly finding outit has found out most admirably. But instead of using it to satisfy human passions, instead of using what science has found so that men may destroy each other more effectively than they are presently doing, it must be used to enrich the earth: to enrich the earth, to make the earth richer and richer, more active, generous, productive and to make all life grow towards its maximum efficiency. This is the true use of money. And if its not used like that, its a vicea short circuit and a vice.
But how many people know how to use it in this way? Very few, which is why they have to be taught. What I call teach is to show, to give the example. We want to be the example of true living in the world. Its a challenge I am placing before the whole financial world: I am telling them that they are in the process of withering and ruining the earth with their idiotic system; and with even less than they are now spending for useless thingsmerely for inflating something that has no inherent life, that should be only an instrument at the service of life, that has no reality in itself, that is only a means and not an end (they make an end of something that is only a means)well then, instead of making of it an end, they should make it the means. With what they have at their disposal they could oh, transform the earth so quickly! Transform it, put it into contact, truly into contact, with the supramental forces that would make life bountiful and, indeed, constantly renewedinstead of becoming withered, stagnant, shrivelled up: a future moon. A dead moon.
0 1958-10-10, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
And for the cycle to be complete, one cannot stop on the way at any plane, not even the highest spiritual plane nor the plane closest to matter (like the occult plane in the vital, for example). One must descend right into matter, and this perfection in manifestation must be a material perfection, or otherwise the cycle is not completewhich explains why those who want to flee in order to realize the divine Will are in error. What must be done is exactly the opposite! The two must be combined in a perfect way. This is why all the honest sciences, the sciences that are practiced sincerely, honestly, exclusively with a will to know, are difficult pathsyet such sure paths for the total realization.
It brings up very interesting things. (What I am going to say now is very personal and consequently cannot be used, but it may be kept anyway:)
0 1958-10-25 - to go out of your body, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
When X does his puja, I clearly see the particular form of the Mother he is invoking I see her descending.
Each one is in touch with the universal expression of an aspect or a will or a mode of the Supreme, and if one aspires for this, it is this that comes, with an extraordinary plasticity. And when that happens, I even become the Witness (not the witness in the way of the Purusha1: a witness far more infinite and eternal than the Purusha). I see what responds, why it responds, how it responds. This is how I know what people want (not here below, nor even in their highest aspiration). I see it even when the people themselves are no longer consciousor rather, not yet conscious (for me, its no longer, but anyway ), when they are not yet conscious of this identification somewhere. Even then I see it.
0 1958-11-04 - Myths are True and Gods exist - mental formation and occult faculties - exteriorization - work in dreams, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Then comes the story of Anusuya and her husb and (who is truly a husb and a very good man, but well, not a god, after all!), who was sleeping with his head resting upon Anusuyas knees. They had finished their puja (both of them were worshippers of Shiva), and after their puja he was resting, sleeping, with his head on Anusuyas knees. Meanwhile, the gods had descended upon earth, particularly this Parvati, and they saw Anusuya like that. Then Parvati exclaimed, This is a good occasion! Not very far away a cooking fire was burning. With her power, she sent the fire rolling down onto Anusuyas feetwhich startled her because it hurt. It began to burn; not one cry, not one movement, nothing because she didnt want to awaken her husband. But she began invoking Shiva (Shiva was there). And because she invoked Shiva (it is lovely in the story), because she invoked Shiva, Shivas foot began burning! (Mother laughs) Then Narada showed Shiva to Parvati: Look what you are doing; you are burning your husbands foot! So Parvati made the opposite gesture and the fire was put out.
Thats how it went.
--
They are beings who belong to the progressive creation of the universe and who have themselves presided over its formation from the most etheric or subtle regions to the most material regions. They are a descent of the divine creative Spirit that came to repair the mischief in short, to repair what the Asuras had done. The first makers created disorder and darkness, an unconsciousness, and then it is said that there was a second lineage of makers to repair that evil, and the gods gradually descended through realities that were ever moreone cant say dense because it isnt really dense, nor can one even say material, since matter as we know it does not exist on these planesthrough more and more concrete substances.
All these zones, these planes of reality, received different names and were classified in different ways according to the occult schools, according to the different traditions, but there is an essential similarity, and if we go back far enough into the various traditions, hardly anything but words differ, depending upon the country and the language. The descriptions are quite similar. Moreover, those who climb back up the ladderor in other words, a human being who, through his occult knowledge, goes out of one of his bodies (they are called sheaths in English) and enters into a more subtle bodyin order to ACT in a more subtle body and so forth, twelve times (you make each body come out from a more material body, leaving the more material body in its corresponding zone, and then go off through successive exteriorizations), what they have seen, what they have discovered and seen through their ascensionwhe ther they are occultists from the Occident or occultists from the Orientis for the most part analogous in description. They have put different words on it, but the experience is very analogous.
There is the whole Chaldean tradition, and there is also the Vedic tradition, and there was very certainly a tradition anterior to both that split into two branches. Well, all these occult experiences have been the same. Only the description differs depending upon the country and the language. The story of creation is not told from a metaphysical or psychological point of view, but from an objective point of view, and this story is as real as our stories of historical periods. Of course, its not the only way of seeing, but it is just as legitimate a way as the others, and in any event, it recognizes the concrete reality of all these divine beings. Even now, the experiences of Western occultists and those of Eastern occultists exhibit great similarities. The only difference is in the way they are expressed, but the manipulation of the forces is the same.
I learned all this through Theon. Probably, he was I dont know if he was Russian or Polish (a Russian or Polish Jew), he never said who he really was or where he was born, nor his age nor anything.
0 1958-11-08, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I found my message for the 1st of January It was quite unforeseen. Yesterday morning, I thought, All the same, I have to find my message, but what? I was absolutely like that, neutral, nothing. Then yesterday evening at the class (of Friday, November 7) I noticed that these children who had had a whole week to prepare their questions on the text had not found a single one! A terrible lethargy! A total lack of interest. And when I had finished speaking, I thought to myself, But what IS there in these people who are interested in nothing but their personal little affairs? So I began descending into their mental atmosphere, in search of the little light, of that which responds And it literally pulled me downwards as into a hole, but in such a material way; my hand, which was on the arm of the chair, began slipping down, my other hand went like this (to the ground), my head, too! I thought it was going to touch my knees!
And I had the impression It was not an impression I saw it. I was descending into a crevasse between two steep rocks, rocks that appeared to be made of something harder than basalt, BLACK, but metallic at the same time, with such sharp edgesit seemed that a mere touch would lacerate you. It appeared endless and bottomless, and it kept getting narrower, narrower and narrower, narrower and narrower, like a funnel, so narrow that there was almost no more roomnot even for the consciousness to pass through. And the bottom was invisible, a black hole. And it went down, down, down, like that, without air, without light, except for a sort of glimmer that enabled me to make out the rock edges. They seemed to be cut so steeply, so sharply Finally, when my head began touching my knees, I asked myself, But what is there at the bottom of this this hole?
And as soon as I had uttered, What is there at the bottom of this hole? I seemed to touch a spring that was in the very depthsa spring I didnt see but that acted instantly with a tremendous power and it cast me up forthwith, hurled me out of this crevasse into (arms extended, motionless) a formless, limitless vast which was infinitely comfortablenot exactly warm, but it gave a feeling of ease and of an intimate warmth.
--
At the time, I wondered what it meant. Later, of course, I found out, and finally this morning, I said to myself, Ah, so thats it! It came to give me my message for the new year! Then I transcribed the experienceit cant be described, of course, for it was in describable; it was a psychological phenomenon and the form it took was only a way of describing the psychological state to oneself. Here is what I wrote down, obviously in a mental way, and I am thinking of using it as my message.
There was a hesitation in the expression, so I brought the paper and I want us to decide upon the final text together.
I have not described anything. I have only stated a fact (Mother reads):
At the very bottom of the inconscience most hard and rigid and narrow and stifling, I struck upon an almighty spring that cast me up forthwith into a formless, limitless Vast, generator of all creation.
--
And then, down into this hole I still see what I saw then, this crevasse between two rocks. The sky was not visible, but on the rock summits I saw something like the reflection of a glimmera glimmercoming from something beyond, which (laughing) must have been the sky! But it was invisible. And as I descended, as if I were sliding down the face of this crevasse, I saw the rock edges; and they were really black rocks, as if cut with a chisel, cuts so fresh that they glistened, with edges as sharp as knives. There was one here, one there, another there, everywhere, all around. And I was being pulled, pulled, pulled, I went down and down and downthere was no end to it, and it was becoming more and more compressing.1 It went down and down
And so, physically, the body followed. My body has been taught to express the inner experience to a certain extent. In the body there is the body-force or the body-form or the body-spirit (according to the different schools, it bears a different name), and this is what leaves the body last when one dies, usually taking a period of seven days to leave.2 With special training, it can acquire a conscious lifeindependent and consciousto such a degree that not only in a state of trance (in trance, it frequently happens that one can speak and move if one is slightly trained or educated), but even in a cataleptic state it can produce sounds and even make the body move. Thus, through training, the body begins to have somnambulistic capacitiesnot an ordinary somnambulism, but it can live an autonomous life.3 This is what took place, yesterday evening it was like that I had gone out of my body, but my body was participating. And then I was pulled downwards: my hand, which had been on the arm of the chair, slipped down, then the other hand, then my head was almost touching my knees! (The consciousness was elsewhere, I saw it from outsideit was not that I didnt know what I was doing, I saw it from outside.) So I said, In any case, this has to stop somewhere because if it continues, my head (laughing) is going to be on the ground! And I thought, But what is there at the bottom of this hole?
--
And I followed all this without objectifying it in the least; I was not aware of what it was nor of what was happening, nor of any explanation at all, nothing: it was like that. I was living it, thats all. The experience was absolutely spontaneous. And after this rather painful descent, phew!there was a kind of super-comfort. I cant explain it otherwise, an ease,4 but an ease to the utmost. A perfect immobility in a sense of eternity but with an extraordinary INTENSITY of movement and life! An inner intensity, unmanifested; it was within, self-contained. And motionless (had there been an outside, it would have been motionless in relation to that) and it was in a life so immeasurable that it can only be expressed metaphorically as infinite. And with an intensity, a POWER, a force and a peace the peace of eternity. A silence, a calm. A POWER capable of of EVERYTHING. Everything.
And I was not imagining nor objectifying it; I was living it with easewith a great ease. And it lasted until the end of the meditation. When it gradually began fading, I stopped the meditation and left.
0 1958-11-15, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
It is precisely this state of perfect Harmony beyond all attacks that will become possible with the supramental realization. It is what all those who are destined for the supramental transformation will realize. The hostile forces know it well; in the supramental world, they will automatically disappear. Having no more utility, they will be dissolved without our having to do anything, simply through the presence of the supramental force. So now they are being unleashed with a fury in a negation of everything, everything.
The link between the two worlds has not yet been built, but it is in the process of being built; this was the meaning of the experience of February 3 1958, 1: to build a link between the two worlds. For both worlds are indeed therenot one above the other, but within each other, in two different dimensions. Only, there is no communication between them; they overlap, as it were, without being connected. In the experience of February 3, I saw certain people from here (and from elsewhere) who already belong to the supramental world in a part of their being, but there is no connection, no link. But now the hour has come in universal history for this link to be built.
0 1958-11-22, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Even at a very young age, I had a kind of intuition of my destiny. I felt that something in me had to be exhausted, or that I had to exhaust myself. I dont know, as though I had to descend into the depths of the night to find the thing. I thought it was the concentration camps. Perhaps this was still not deep enough Do you see any meaning in all this?
It can hardly be formulated; these are merely impressions that follow one another. I know that when you thought of leaving with Swami,1 I saw that a door was opening, that it was the truth, that this was IT.
--
And ifit can happenif the second attempt also miscarries, if the conditions make the experience the soul is seeking still more difficult for example, if one is in a body with an inadequate will or some distortion in the thought, or an egoism too too hardened, and it ends in suicide, it is dreadful. I have seen this many times, it creates a dreadful karma that can be repeated for lifetimes on end before the soul can conquer it and manage to do what it wants. And each time, the conditions become more difficult, each time it requires a still greater effort. And people who know this say, You cannot get out! In fact, it is this kind of desire to escape which pushes you into more foolish things3 that result in a still greater accumulation of difficulty. There are momentsmoments and circumstanceswhen no one is there to help you, and then things become so horrible, the circumstances become so abominable.
But if the soul has had but ONE call, but ONE contact with the Grace, then in your next life you are put in the conditions, once, whereby EVERYTHING can be swept away at one stroke. And at this present moment on earth, you cannot imagine the number of people I have met that is, the number of soulswho had reached out towards this possibility with such an intensity and they have all found themselves on my path.
--
So this is what I saw for you: that the crystallization of this karma occurred during a life in India in which you were put in the presence of the possibility of liberation and I dont know the details; I dont know the material facts at all. So far, I know nothing, I have only had a vision. I saw you there, as I told you, taller than you are now, in an Indian body, north Indian, for it was not dark but fair. But there was a HARDNESS in the being, the hardness born of a kind of despair mixed with rebellion, incomprehension and an ego that resists. That is all I know. The image was of you backed up against a bronze door: BACKED UP against it. I didnt see what had caused it. As I told you, something interrupted me, so I was unable to follow it.
The other indication is what I told you the other day. When you thought of leaving to join Swami, I immediately saw a stream of light: Ah, the road is opening up! So I said, It is good. And while you were away in Ceylon, I followed you from day to day. You called much more than the second time, when you were in the Himalayas; and with the physical hardships you were undergoing, I was very, very close to you I constantly felt what was happening.
--
As soon as you had left, and since I was following you, I saw that nothing of the kind was going to happen, but rather something very superficial which would not be of much use. And when I received your letters and saw that you were in difficulty, I did something. There are places that are favorable for occult experiences. Benares is one of these places, the atmosphere there is filled with vibrations of occult forces, and if one has the slightest capacity, it spontaneously develops there, in the same way that a spiritual aspiration develops very strongly and spontaneously as soon as one lands in India. These are Graces. Graces, because it is the destiny of the country, it has been so throughout its history, and because India has always been turned much more towards the heights and the inner depths than towards the outer world. Now, it is in the process of losing all that and wallowing in the mud, but thats another story it was like that and it is still like that. And in fact, when you returned from Rameswaram with your robes, I saw with much satisfaction that there was still a GREAT dignity and a GREAT sincerity in this endeavor of the Sannyasis towards the higher life and in the self-giving of a certain number of people to realize this higher life. When you returned, it had become a very concrete and a very real thing that immediately commanded respect. Before, I had seen only a copy, an imitation, an hypocrisy, a pretentionnothing that was really lived. But then, I saw that it was true, that it was lived, that it was real and that it was still Indias great heritage. I dont believe it is very prevalent now, but in any case, it is still there, and as I told you, it commands respect. And then, as I felt you in difficulty and as the outer conditions were not only veiling but spoiling the inner, well, on that day I wrote you a short note I no longer recall when it was exactly, but I wrote you just a word or two, which I put in an envelope and sent you I concentrated very strongly upon those few words and sent you something. I didnt note the date, I dont remember when it was, but its likely that it happened as I wished when you were in Benares; and then you had this experience.
But when you returned the second time, from the Himalayas, you didnt have the same flame as when you returned the first time. And I understood that this kind of difficult karma still clung to you, that it had not been dissolved. I had hoped that your contact with the mountains but in a true solitude (I dont mean that your body had to be all alone, but there should not have been all kinds of outer, superficial things) Anyway, it didnt happen. So it means that the time had not come.
--
Mother specified: 'The subconscious memory of the past creates a kind of irresistible desire to escape from the difficulty, and you recommence the same foolishness, or an even greater foolishness.'
The disciple wanted to leave for the forest, the Congo, to do the most unlikely things there.
0 1958-11-27 - Intermediaries and Immediacy, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
One day I had mentioned this to X1 when he was showing me or describing to me the different movements of the pujas, the procedure, the process of the puja. I said to him, Oh, I see! For the action to be immediate, for the result to be immediate, one must acknowledge, for example, the role or the participation of certain spirits or certain forces and enter into a friendly relationship or collaboration with these forces in order to obtain an immediate result, is it not so? Then he told me, Yes, otherwise it leaves an indefinite time to the play of the forces, and you dont know when you will get the result of your puja.
That interested me very much. Because one of the obstacles I had felt was that although the Force was acting well, there was a time lag that appeared inevitable, a time element in the work which seemed unavoidablea play left to the forces of Nature. But with their knowledge of the processes, the tantrics can dispense with all that. So I understood why those who have studied, who are initiated and follow the prescribed methods are apparently more powerfulmore powerful even than those who are conscious in the highest consciousness.
0 1958-12-15 - tantric mantra - 125,000, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Mother, things are far from being what they were the first time in Rameswaram, and I am living through certain moments that are hell the enemy seems to have been unleashed with an extraordinary violence. It comes in waves, and after it rece des, I am literally SHATTEREDphysically, mentally and vitally drained. This morning, while going to the temple, I lived through one of these moments. All this suffering that suddenly sweeps down upon me is horrible. Yes, I had the feeling of being BACKED UP AGAINST A WALL, exactly as in your vision I was up against a wall. I was walking among these immense arca des of sculptured granite and I could see myself walking, very small, all alone, alone, ravaged with pain, filled with a nameless despair, for nowhere was there a way out. The sea was nearby and I could have thrown myself into it; otherwise, there was only the sanctuary of Parvati but there was no more Africa to flee to, everything closed in all around me, and I kept repeating, Why? Why? This much suffering was truly inhuman, as if my last twenty years of nightmare were crashing down upon me. I gritted my teeth and went to the sanctuary to say my mantra. The pain in me was so strong that I broke into a cold sweat and almost fainted. Then it subsided. Yet even now I feel completely battered.
I clearly see that the hour has come: either I will perish right here, or else I will emerge from this COMPLETELY changed. But something has to change. Mother, you are with me, I know, and you are protecting me, you love me I have only you, only you, you are my Mother. If these moments of utter darkness return and they are bound to return for everything to be exorcised and conqueredprotect me in spite of myself. Mother, may your Grace not abandon me. I want to be done with all these old phantoms, I want to be born anew in your Light; it has to beotherwise I can no longer go on.
0 1958-12-28, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I have just now received your letter of the 28th. On that day I definitely felt that there was a decisive change in the situation and I understood right away that you had spoken to Swami and also that what I had written to you gave you the opportunity to take a great step. I am very happy and can say with certitude that the worst is over. However, from several points of view, I infinitely appreciate Xs offer. And although I do not think it necessary, or even desirable, that they both come here (it would create a veritable revolution and perhaps even a panic among the ashramites), I am sure that their intervention in Rameswaram itself would not only be useful but most effective
Yes, everything has changed since you now understand that your battle is not only a personal battle and that by winning it, it is a real service you are rendering to the Divine Work.
0 1959-01-06, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
And it happened just as I was despairing of ever getting out of it. I seemed to be touching a kind of fundamental bedrock, so painful, so suffering, and full of revolt because of too much suffering. And I saw that all my efforts, all the meditations, aspirations, mantras, were only covering up this suffering bedrock without touching it. I saw this fundamental thing in me very clearly, a poignant knot, ever ready for an absolute negation. I saw it and I said to you, Mother, only your grace can remove this. I said this to you in the temple that morning, in total despair. And then, the knot was undone. Xs action contri buted a lot, with your grace acting through him. But truly, I have traversed a veritable hell this last while.
X continues his work on me daily; it is to last 41 days in all. He told me that he wants to undo the things of several births. When it is over, he will explain it all to me. I do not know how to tell you how luminous and good this man is, he is a very great soul. He is also giving me Sanskrit lessons, and little by little, each evening, speaks to me of the Tantra.
0 1959-01-21, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I will therefore give you initiation this Friday or Saturday, on the day of the full moon or the day before. This first stage will last three months during which you will have to repeat 1 lakh2 times the mantra that I will give you. At the end of three months, I will come to see you in Pondicherryor you will come here for a fortnight, and as soon as I have received the message from my guru, I will give you the second stage that will last three months as well. At the end of these three months, you will receive the full initiation. X warned me that the first stage I am to receive provokes attacks and tests but that all this disappears with the second stage. Forewarned is forearmed. For what reason I do not know, but X told me that the particular nature of my initiation should remain secret and that he will say nothing about it to Swami, and he added (in speaking of the speed of the process), But you will not be less than the Swami. (!!) There, I wanted you to knowbesi des, you were present in Xs vision. All this happened at a time when I was in the most desperate crisis I have ever known. Sweet Mother, there is no end to expressing my gratitude to you, and yet with the least trial, I am reduced to nothing. Why have you so much grace for me?
I would like very much to return to Pondicherry for the February Darshan and once again begin working for you. Today I am sending a second lot to Pavitra and tomorrow I will start on the Aphorisms, for I do not want to make you wait any longer. I will send a third and final lot to Pavitra by the end of the month, in time for printing. I am very touched, sweet Mother, by your attention and the money you are sending me.
0 1959-03-10 - vital dagger, vital mass, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
For example, I saw one of them trying to incite anger in someone so that this person would deliver a blowa spiritual blow. And this formation had a dagger in his hand (a vital dagger, you see, it was a vital being: gray and slimy, horrible), he was holding a very sharp dagger which he was flaunting, saying, When a person has done something like that (pretending that someone had done an unforgivable thing), this is what he deserves and the scenario was complete: the being rushed forward, vitally, with his dagger.
I, who know the consequences of these things, stopped him just in time I gave him a blow. Then I had enough of all this and it was over, I cleaned the place out. It was almost a physical cleaning, for I had my hands clasped together (I was in a semitrance) and I threw them apart in an abrupt movement, left and right, powerfully, as if to sweep something away, and frrt! immediately everything was gone.
0 1959-03-26 - Lord of Death, Lord of Falsehood, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
At times he calls himself the Lord of Nations. It is he who sets all wars in motion, and only by thwarting his plans could the last war be won This one does not want to be converted, not at all. He wants neither the physical transformation nor the supramental world, for that would spell his end. Besi des, he knows We talk to each other; beyond all this, we have our relationship. For after all, you see (laughing), I am his mother! One day he told me, I know you will destroy me, but meanwhile, I will create all the havoc possible.
This Asura of Falsehood is the one who delegated the Titan that is always near me. He chose the most powerful Titan there is on earth and sent him specially to attack this body. So even if one manages to enchain or kill this Titan, it is likely that the Lord of Falsehood will delegate another form, and still another, and still another, in order to achieve his aim.
In the end, only the Supramental will have the power to destroy it. When the hour comes, all this will disappear, without any need to do anything.
It was Theon.
0 1959-04-21, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Below this center is the body. And this body has indeed the concrete sensation of the Divine in each of its cells; but it needs to become universalized. Thats the work to be done, center by center. I understand now what Sri Aurobindo meant when he repeatedly insisted, Widen yourself. All this must be universalized; it is the condition, the basis, for the Supramental to descend into the body.
According to the ancient traditions, this universalization of the physical body was considered the supreme realization, but it is only a foundation, the base upon which the Supramental can come down without breaking everything.
0 1959-05-19 - Ascending and Descending paths, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
object:0_1959-05-19 - Ascending and descending paths
author class:The Mother
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When you follow the ascending path, the work is relatively easy. I had already covered this path by the beginning of the century and had established a constant relationship with the SupremeThat which is beyond the Personal and the gods and all the outward expressions of the Divine, but also beyond the Absolute Impersonal. Its something you cannot describe; you must experience it. And this is what must be brought down into Matter. Such is the descending path, the one I began with Sri Aurobindo; and there, the work is immense.
The thing can still be brought down as far as the mental and vital planes (although Sri Aurobindo said that thousands of lifetimes would be needed merely to bring it down to the mental plane, unless one practiced a perfect surrender1). With Sri Aurobindo, we went down below Matter, right into the Subconscient and even into the Inconscient. But after the descent comes the transformation, and when you come down to the body, when you attempt to make it take one step forwardoh, not even a real step, just a little step!everything starts grating; its like stepping on an anthill And yet the presence, the help of the supreme Mother, is there constantly; thus you realize that for ordinary men such a task is impossible, or else millions of lives would be needed but in truth, unless the work is done for them and the sadhana of the body done for the entire earth consciousness, they will never achieve the physical transformation, or else it will be so remote that it is better not even to speak of it. But if they open themselves, if they give themselves over in an integral surrender, the work can be done for themthey have only to let it be done.
The path is difficult. And yet this body is full of good will; it is filled with the psychic in every one of its cells. Its like a child. The other day, it cried out quite spontaneously, O my Sweet Lord, give me the time to realize You! It did not ask to hasten the process, it did not ask to lighten its work; it only asked for enough TIME to do the work. Give me the time!
0 1959-05-28, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
There is a spiritual destiny in me, but there are three other destinies so intimately bound up with it that I cannot cut off any one without mutilating something of my living soulwhich is why, periodically, these suppressed destinies awaken and call to meand the dark forces seize upon these occasions to sow chaos within and drive me to ruin everything since I cannot really fulfill myself. And the problem is insoluble.
1) There is the destiny of the adventurer: it is the one in me that needs the sea or the forest and wide open spaces and struggles. This was the best part of my childhood. I can sit on it and tell myself that the adventure is within, and it might work for a while. But this untamed child in me continues to live all the same, and it is something very valuable in me. I cannot kill it through reasoning, even spiritual reasoning. And if I tell it that everything lies within, not without, it replies, Then why was I born, why this manifestation in the outer world? In the end, it is not a question of reasoning. It is a fact, like the wind upon the heaths.
2) There is the destiny of the writer in me. And this too is linked to the best of my soul. It is also a profound need, like adventuring upon the heaths, because when I write certain things, I brea the in a certain way. But during the five years I have been here, I have had to bow to the fact that, materially, there is no time to write what I would like (I recall how I had to wrench out this Orpailleur, which I have not even had time to revise). This is not a reproach, Mother, for you do all you can to help me. But I realize that to write, one must have leisure, and there are too many less personal and more serious things to do. So I can also sit on this and tell myself that I am going to write a Sri Aurobindo but this will not satisfy that other need in me, and periodically it awakens and sprouts up to tell me that it too needs to breathe.
3) There is also the destiny that feels human love as something divine, something that can be transfigured and become a very powerful driving force. I did not believe it possible, except in dreams, until the day I met someone here. But you do not believe in these things, so I shall not speak of it further. I can gag this also and tell myself that one day all will be filled in the inner divine love. But that does not prevent this other need in me from living and from finding that life is dry and from saying, Why this outer manifestation if all life is in the inner realms? But neither can I stifle this with reasoning.
So there remains the pure spiritual destiny, pure interiorization. That is what I have been trying to do for the last five years, without much success. There are good periods of collaboration, because one part of my being can be happy in any condition. But in a certain way this achievement remains truncated, especially when you base spiritual life on a principle of integrality. And these three destinies in me have their own good reasons, which are true: they are not inferior, they are not incidental, they are woven from the very threads that created the spiritual life in me. My error is to open the door to revolt when I feel too poignantly one or the other being stifled.
So you see, all this is insoluble. I have only to bow before these unfortunate circumstances. I perceive an injustice somewhere, but I have only to remain silent.
0 1959-06-03, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Regarding me, this is more or less what he said: First of all, I want an agreement from you so that under any circumstances you never leave the Ashram. Whatever happens, even if Yama1 comes to dance at your door, you should never leave the Ashram. At the critical moment, when the attack is the strongest, you should throw everything into His hands, then and then only the thing can be removed (I no longer know whether he said removed or destroyed ). It is the only way. SARVAM MAMA BRAHMAN [Thou art my sole refuge]. Here in Rameswaram, we are going to meditate together for 45 days, and the Asuric-Shakti may come with full strength to attack, and I shall try my best not only to protect but to destroy, but for that, I need your determination. It is only by your own determination that I can get strength. If the force comes to make suggestions: lack of adventure, lack of Nature, lack of love, then think that I am the forest, think that I am the sea, think that I am the wife (!!) Meanwhile, X has nearly doubled the number of repetitions of the mantra that I have to say every day (it is the same mantra he gave me in Pondicherry). X repeated to me again and again that I am not merely a disciple to him, like the others, but as if his son.
This was a first, hasty conversation, and we did not discuss things at length. I said nothing. I have no confidence in my reactions when I am in the midst of my crises of complete negation. And truly speaking, at the time of my last crisis in Pondicherry, I do not know if it was really Xs occult working that set things right, for personally (but perhaps it is an ignorant impression), I felt that it was thanks to Sujata and her childlike simplicity that I was able to get out of it.
0 1959-06-08, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I should write you what X has revealed about my last three lives, but I have neither the courage nor the desire to again speak of myself.
Your child,
--
If X told you to go see your mother in August and return m early September, you must go. We shall manage. My finances are in an almost desperate state, but that cannot last. For what has to be done will be done.
You are constantly with me, and I am following all your inner movements with love and concern.
0 1959-06-11, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
But I did not want to wait any longer to express my gratitude. I am still not so sure how all this will turn out nor how this destiny that he predicts for me can be realized, but I want to repeat to you, with all my confidence: I am your child, may your will be done now and forever.
Signed: Satprem
0 1959-06-13a, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I have received your last two letters of the 10th and 11th. I told X what you wrote about this trip to France and that your finances are in an almost desperate state. He replied with perfect assurance, Soon it will increase, very soon it will change. I am obviously hesitant to accept your generous offer and I do not know what I should do. I had never thought of returning to France, except in a distant future. I dont know why X told me that I should return there, except perhaps because he felt who my mother is. I know that she is sad, that she believes me lost to her and thinks she will die without seeing me again. It would surely be a great joy to her. But other than that, I have no desire to go there, for each time I go to France, I feel like I am entering a prison. Naturally I would be happy for my mothers joy; she is a great soul, but is this reason enough?
Sunday, 14th
0 1959-06-17, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
These last days I have come to realize that to blame all my crises on the hostile forces is perhaps to oversimplify things. I understand better and better, for in my suffering, my soul is all I have and I rely on that alone; otherwise I could never bear all that I have borne, all that I still bear. I understand, too, that there was also a truth in the force which periodically impelled me to leave, the truth of that destiny in me which is not fulfilled in the Ashram.
Mother, I have suffered so much and prayed so much this last while that I am sure my soul cannot but arrange circumstances in such a way that somehow I may live at last that somehow EVERYTHING may truly become reconciled: not later on or one of these days, but soon for it cannot go on any longer; I am at my end.
Mother, I have prayed with so much truth in my heart that I am sure the gods will come to help me, and that you will help me, too. I think not only of Sujata, but of all these destinies that are being stifled within me.
Your child,
0 1959-07-09, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
This handwritten note bore only this word and the date. Kalki is the name of the last Avatar who comes on a white winged horse to destroy the 'barbarians' (yavan) at the end of the Iron Age or the Kali Yuga, which is the period we are now passing through. His appearance marks the return of the Age of Truth, or the Satya Yuga.
7.9.59
0 1959-07-10, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
A moment ago I barely found the strength not to kill myself. destiny has repeated itself once again, but this time it was not I who rejected her, as in past existences, it is she who rejected me: Too late. For a moment, I thought I was going to go crazy too, so much pain did I have then finally I said, May Thy Will be done, (that of the Supreme Lord) and I kept repeating, Thy Grace is there, even in the greatest suffering. But I am broken, rather like a living dead man. So be happy, for I will never wear the white robe that Guruji gave me.
You will understand that I do not have the strength to come to see you. My only strength is not to rebel, my only strength is to believe in the Grace in the face of everything. I believe I have too much grief in my heart to rebel against anything at all. I seem to have a kind of great pity for this world.
0 1959-07-14, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Mother, I need Sujata like my very soul. It seems to me that she is a part of me, that she alone can help me break with this horrible past, that she alone can help me to love truly at last. I need peace so much, a quiet, PEACEFUL happinessa base of happiness upon which I could use my strength to build, instead of always fighting, always destroying. Mother, I am not at all sure of what must be, but I know that Sujata is part of this realization.
Thats all, Mother. Forgive me, but I am so afraid. For how is this possible in the Ashram? What would people say?
0 1959-10-06 - Sri Aurobindos abode, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Shortly before the 15th of August I had a unique experience that exemplifies all this.1 For the first time the supramental light entered directly into my body, without passing through the inner beings. It entered through the feet (a red and gold colormarvelous, warm, intense), and it climbed up and up. And as it climbed, the fever also climbed because the body was not accustomed to this intensity. As all this light neared the head, I thought I would burst and that the experience would have to be stopped. But then, I very clearly received the indication to make the Calm and Peace descend, to widen all this body-consciousness and all these cells, so that they could contain the supramental light. So I widened, and as the light was ascending, I brought down the vastness and an unshakable peace. And suddenly, there was a second of fainting.
I found myself in another world, but not far away (I was not in a total trance). This world was almost as substantial as the physical world. There were roomsSri Aurobindos room with the bed he rests on and he was living there, he was there all the time: it was his abode. Even my room was there, with a large mirror like the one I have here, combs, all kinds of things. And the substance of these objects was almost as dense as in the physical world, but they shone with their own light. It was not translucent, not transparent, not radiant, but self-luminous. The various objects and the material of the rooms did not have this same opacity as the physical objects here, they were not dry and hard as in the physical world we know.
0 1959-11-25, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
There is a difference between immortality and the deathless state. Sri Aurobindo has described it very well in Savitri.
The deathless state is what can be envisaged for the human physical body in the future: it is constant rebirth. Instead of again tumbling backwards and falling apart due to a lack of plasticity and an incapacity to adapt to the universal movement, the body is undone futurewards, as it were.
0 1960-04-14, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
The following passage, taken from the Revue des Deux Mon des of March 1960, was part of a course taught by Dimitri Manowilski in 1931 at the Lenin School of Political Warfare in Moscow:
Our turn will come in twenty to thirty years. To win, we need an element of surprise. The bourgeoisie should be lulled to sleep. Therefore, we must first launch the most spectacular peace movement that has ever existed, replete with inspiring proposals and extraordinary concessions. The stupid and decadent capitalist countries will cooperate joyfully in their own destruction. They will jump at this new opportunity for friendship. As soon as their guard is down, we shall crush them beneath our closed fist.
(Quoted in the Revue Militaire d Information, December 1959.)
--
I read Mother the extract from the Revue des Deux Mon des. This was her comment:
It is quite possible that this is their original intention, I am aware of it. But they are wrong if they think it will turn out like that We shall see!
0 1960-05-16, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
And what is wonderful is that at each moment the Grace, the Joy, the Light, the Love never cease pouring down in the very midst of all this despite the ego, despite the shame, despite the unworthiness. To be humble
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0 1960-05-28 - death of K - the death process- the subtle physical, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I think they do it here (apart from entirely sanitary considerations in the case of people who have died from nasty diseases), here in India, mainly because they are very afraid of all these little entities that come from desires, impulsesthings which are dispersed in the air and which make ghosts and all kinds of things. All desires, all attachments, all those things are like pieces that break off (each one goes its own way, you see), then these pieces gain strength in the surrounding atmosphere, and when they can fasten on to someone, they vampirize him. Then they keep on trying to satisfy their desires.
The world, the terrestrial atmosphere, is full of filth.
0 1960-07-12 - Mothers Vision - the Voice, the ashram a tiny part of myself, the Mothers Force, sparkling white light compressed - enormous formation of negative vibrations - light in evil, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
What was me was up above, and the Ashram was It began just here (the navel) and went that way (downwards), and it was encircled, to show that it was a special formationencircled in the inconscience of the terrestrial creation. And I was everything else, with the usual vibrations of power and light. And then one current and another current and another were passing into it, into this formation, and they kept going in and in and in, accumulating. They kept going in, and yet they did not come out, they did not leave. It was not an undulatory movement, but rather a pulsating movementit had no beginning, it didnt go out, and yet it kept moving. Its very difficult to describe.
The formation represented by the Ashram was located approximately here, at the height of the navel in relation to what I was but although the body was not delimited, it had certain attributes or undefined forms, each one of which was situated in relation to the other as though each represented one part of the body; each was symbolic of either an activity or a part of the world or a mode of manifestation. So the formation started from about here, near the navel, and went down towards the appendix Here, Ill draw you a sketch:
--
And there are hundreds and hundreds of little experiences like that, like so many little stones marking the way. Then you see that the two things are ALWAYS together: the destructive and the constructive. You cant see one without seeing the other. A time comes when the effort is to conquer the negative parts of creation and death (as at the end of Savitri), and when you have conquered that, then youre above. And then if you look at all these things, even those which seem the most opposed to the Divine, even acts of cruelty done for the pleasure of cruelty, you see the Presence the Presence that annuls their effects. And its absolutely marvelous.
I had a startling experience one day when X was doing his pujas to encircle the titans. He was in difficulty and I was about to intervene to help him when I was abruptly stopped. I was faced by a massive blackness (blacker than the blackest physical thing) and suddenly, right at its center, I saw the Divine Love shining with such a splendor I had never seen it so splendid.
0 1960-07-18 - triple time vision, Questions and Answers is like circling around the Garden, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
As the experiences unfold, these old Questions and Answers give me the feeling of someone circling outside a garden while describing whats inside it. But a day comes when you enter the garden, and then you know a little better whats inside. And Im starting to enter. Im starting.
***
0 1960-07-23 - The Flood and the race - turning back to guide and save amongst the torrents - sadhana vs tamas and destruction - power of giving and offering - Japa, 7 lakhs, 140000 per day, 1 crore takes 20 years, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
object:0_1960-07-23 - The Flood and the race - turning back to guide and save amongst the torrents - sadhana vs tamas and destruction - power of giving and offering - Japa, 7 lakhs, 140000 per day, 1 crore takes 20 years
author class:The Mother
--
It was as if the doors of destruction had been flung open. Floodsfloods as vast as an oceanwere rushing down onto something the earth? A formidable current pouring down at an insane speed, with an unstoppable power. It was brackish waternot transparent, but brackish. And it was imperative to reach a certain spot BEFORE the water. Had the water reached there ahead of me, nothing could have been done. Whereas if I got there first (I say I, but it was not I with this body), if I got to the other side before the water, I would be completely safe; and from this safe position, I would be able, I would have a chance to help those left behind.
And this vehicle was going faster than the flood (I saw and felt it by its motion)a formidable flood, but the vehicle was going still faster. It was so wonderful. In places there were some especially difficult and dangerous spots, but I ALWAYS got there before the water, just before the water barred the way. And we kept going and going and going. Then, with a final effort (there was no effort, really, it was willed), with a final push, we made it to the other side and the water came rushing just behind! It rushed down at a fantastic speed. We had made it. Then, just on the other side, it changed color. It was it changed in color to a predominant blue, this powerful blue which is the force, the organizing force in the most material world. So there we were, and the vehicle stopped. And then, after having been looking straight ahead the whole time we were speeding along, I turned around and said, Ah, now I can start helping those who are behind.
--
I turned around and saw all this water rushing down, and I thought, Now lets see if we can do something here. There was someone behind who interested me, someone or somethingit was still something; it was very likable and had something of the blue color that was here on the other side. Not really individuals, but more like beings representative of something that was following me quite closely. When I was there, it also was there, but it could not keep up, it kept losing groundas my speed increased, its decreased. It could not keep up. But it interested me in a special way. Oh, hes so close (he or it); he might just make it, I thought. And at that moment, I saw that all this destructive will with its instrument of water, symbolically water, had rushed past and was spreading out everywhere. But there was still a chance of saving all those who were along this path. And thats immediately what I thought of, it was my first wish: Lets see if they can still get across, if I can manage to get them across. I remembered some especially dangerous spots (while speeding past, I had remarked, Oh, here we might still be able to do this, there that could still be donemy consciousness moved at the same speed, and I noted everything along the way), and once I was firmly there on the other side, I started sending back messages.
Down below, the water was having a grand time; it was it was hopeless. But here, along this path, there was still a hope, even even after the water had passed; I probably had a certain power at my disposal to help others cross these fissured places. But because I woke up, I didnt see what it was. So that stopped everything. Probably because I woke up rather abruptly, I could not see what it meant.
--
S.M came the other day Hes quite informed about events as only the government knows them. He brings me government newsnot what they feed to the public. It doesnt look good. But as he has confidence, he wanted to know (so much confidence that he goes and tells Nehru and others, Oh, Mother said this, Mother said that. And it turns out true, fortunately!). So after describing things at some length, he asked my opinion.
Logically, according to reason, war seems unavoidable. But as he asked, I looked I looked at my nights, precisely, as well as other things. And then I said, I dont feel it. I dont feel any war.
--
The vehicle and the forward movement are the sadhana, beyond the shadow of a doubt. I understood that the speed of sadhana was greater than the speed of the forces of destruction. And it ended in certain victory, there is not a shadow of doubt. This feeling of POWER once I was firmly grounded there [in the square], enough power to help others.
These were universal forces. I cant say it means war. Ive foreseen many warswi despread wars, local wars, so many warsand up to now they have never been presented to me in that form. Theyve always come as a fireflames, flames, the home burning. Not as an inundation.
--
In fact, the Ashrams financial situation has never been so bad. Were living from day to day, minute to minute One day, it will crackall these things are connected (Mother is alluding to the vision of the flood She has just described).
I myself am clearly seeing it from the other side; I see a black, muddy forma black, black force. And I see the [Divine] Force acting on people and, miraculously, the money comesand then its like something armored1it seeps in with difficulty, a thin trickle from day to day.
0 1960-08-20, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
It was in the beginning of February 56it was formidable. It was really formidable. All the asuric forces of destruction descended upon me They tried their best.
And naturally, they make use of all those around me!Its the only way of getting at my body.
0 1960-09-20, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Actually, it was very different at that time because I was not even aware of any resistance or any difficulty in the outer being; it was automatic, the work was done automatically. Later on, when I had to do both thingswhat he had been doing as well as what I was doingit became rather complicated and I realized there were many what we could call gapsthings which had to be worked out, transformed, set right before the total work could be done without hindrance. So then I began. And several times I thought how unfortunate it was that I had never studied or pursued certain ancient Indian disciplines. Because, for example, when Sri Aurobindo and I were working to bring down the supramental forces, a descent from the mental plane to the vital plane, he was always telling me that everything I did (when we meditated together, when we worked)all my movements, all my gestures, all my postures, all my reactionswas absolutely tantric, as if I had pursued a tantric discipline. But it was spontaneous, it did not correspond to any knowledge, any idea, any will, nothing, and I thought it was like that simply because, as He knew, naturally I followed.
Later on, when Sri Aurobindo left his body, I said to myself, If only I knew what he had known, it would be easier! So when Swami and later X came, I thought, I am going to take advantage of this opportunity. I had written to Swami that I was working on transforming the cells of the body and that I had noticed the work was going faster with Xs influence. So it was understood that X would help when he came thats how things began, and this idea has remained with X. But I have raced on I dont wait. Ive raced on, Ive gone like wildfire. And now the situation is reversed. What I wanted to find out, I found out. I experienced what I wanted to experience, but he is still He is very kind, actually, he wants really to help me. So, when I identified with him the other day during our meditation, I realized that he wanted to give silence, control and perfect peace to the physical mind. My own trick, if you will, is to have as little relationship with the physical mind as possible, to go up above and stay therethis (Mother indicates her forehead), silent, motionless, turned upwards, while That (gesture above the head) sees, acts, knows, deci desall is done from there. Only there can you feel at ease.
--
But to each his destiny, to each his work, to each his realization, and to want to change someones destiny or someones realization is very wrong. For it simply throws him off balance thats all it does.
But for us who want an integral realization, are all these mantras and this daily japa really a help, or do they also shut us in?
0 1960-10-02a, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
From a documentary standpoint, my nights are getting quite interesting. In the Yoga of Self-Perfection, Sri Aurobindo describes precisely this state you reach in which all things assume meaning and a quality of inner significance, clarification of various points, and help. From this point of view, my nights have become extraordinary. I see infinitely more things than I saw before. Before, it was very limited to a personal contact with people. Now In my nights, each thing and each person has the appearance, the gesture, the word or the action that describes EXACTLY his condition. Its becoming quite interesting.
Of course, I much prefer being in my great currents of forcefrom a personal standpoint, such immensity of action is much more interesting. But these documentary things are also valuable. It is so tremendously different from the dreams and even the vi. signs you have when you enter certain representative realms of the mind (which is what I used to do). It is so different, it has another content, another life altogether: it carries its light, its understanding, its explanation within itselfyou look, and everything is explained.
--
Before going to bed, sometimes I say to myself, I will do what is necessary to spend my night in these great currents of force(because there is a way to do it). And then I think, Oh, what an egotist you are, my girl! So sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesntwhen theres something important to do, it doesnt happen. But all I have to do is concentrate in a certain way before going to sleep to spend my whole night in these very far from here, very far I cant say very far from the earth, for surely its in an intermediate zone between the forces from above and the earths atmosphere. Thats what it mainly is, in any case. Its a great universal current as well, but mainly its what descends and comes onto the earth, and it is permeating the earths atmosphere all the time, all the time, and it comes with this wide, overall visionit makes for wonderful nights I no longer bother about people at allat least not as such, but in a more impersonal way.
(silence)
0 1960-10-02b, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
pour descendre sur la terre.1
In this way we keep the word appel [call], which is strong. All I did was change the relative pronoun (at first you had translated it as qui, nos portes, attend notre appel2).
0 1960-10-11, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Im just now finishing the Yoga of Self-Perfection When we see what human life is and, even in the best of cases, what it represents in the way of imbecility, stupidity, narrowness, meanness (not to mention ignorance because that is too flagrant) and even those who believe themselves to have generous heart, for example, or liberal ideas, a desire to do good! Each time the consciousness orients itself in one direction to attain some result, everything that was in existence (not just ones personal existence, but this sort of collectivity of existences that each being represents), everything that is contrary to this effort immediately presents itself in its cru dest light.
It happened this morning while I was walking back and forth in my room. I had finished my japa I had to stop and hold my head in my hands to keep from bursting into tears. No, it is too dreadful, I said to myself; and to think that we want Perfection!
--
There are still many hundreds of years to go before it becomes entirely what Sri Aurobindo describes theres no hurry!
The mental silence Sri Aurobindo gave you in 1914, about which you were speaking the other day
--
Even now, when something or other is not all right, I have only to reproduce the thing with the same type of concentration as at the beginning for, when I say the japa, the sound and the words together the way the words are understood, the feel of the wordscreate a certain totality. I have to reproduce that. And the way its repeated is evolving all the time. The words are the same, however, the original sound is the same, but its all constantly evolving towards a more comprehensive realization and a more and more complete STATE. So when I want to obtain a certain result, I reproduce a certain type of this state. For example, if something in the body is not functioning right (it cant really be called an illness, but when somethings out of order), or if I wish to do some specific work on a specific person for a specific reason, then I go back to a certain state of repetition of my mantra, which acts directly on the bodys cells. And then the same phenomenon is reproducedexactly the same extraordinary vibration which I recognized when the supramental world descended. It comes in and vibrates like a pulsation in the cells.
But as I told you, now my japa is different. It is as if I were taking the whole world to lift it up; no longer is it a concentration on the body, but rather a taking of the whole world the entire world sometimes in its details, sometimes as a whole, but constantly, constantlyto establish the Contact (with the supramental world).
--
I am just finishing The Synthesis of Yoga, and what Sri Aurobindo says is exactly what has happened to me throughout my life. And he explains how you can still make mistakes as long as you are not supramentalized. Sri Aurobindo describes all the ways by which images are sent to youand they are not always images or reflections of the truth of things past, present or future; there are also all the images that come from human mental formations and all the various things that want to be considered. It is very, very interesting. And interestingly enough, in these few pages I have found a description of the work I have spent my whole life doing, trying to SIFT out all we see.
I can only be sure of something once a certain type of picture comes, and then the whole world could tell me, But things didnt happen like that; I would reply, Sorry, but I see it. And that type of picture is certain, for I have studied it, I have studied their differences in quality and the texture of the pictures. It is very interesting.
0 1960-10-22, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I also wrote one or two things, experiences I had noted down; they were rather interesting, which is why Id like to get them back. I had described some of my visions to Madame Theon, and then she explained their meaning to me. So I would narrate the vision and give its explanation. That was readable and interesting, because there was some symbolism.
(Pavitra:) What was this Chronicle of KI?
--
Im going to tell you what I sawits very interesting. First, emanating from here (Mother indicates the chest), a florescence of every color like a peacocks tail spread wide; but it was made of light, and it was very, very delicate, very fine, like this (gesture). Then it rose up and formed what truly seemed like a luminous peacock, up above, and it remained like that. Then, from here (the chest), what looked like a sword of white light climbed straight up. It went up very high and formed a kind of expanse, a very vast expanse, which was like a callthis lasted the longest. And then, in response, a veritable rain, like (no, it was much finer than drops) a golden lightwhite and goldenwith various sha des, at times more towards white, at times more golden, at times with a tinge of pink. And all this was descending, descending into you. And here (the chest), it changed into this same deep blue light, with a powdering of green light inside itemerald green. And at that moment, when it reached here (the level of the heart), a number of little divinities of living golda deep, living goldcame, like this, and then looked at you. And just as they looked at you, there was the image of the Mother right at the very center of younot as she is commonly portrayed but as she is in the Indian consciousness Very serene and pure and luminous. And then that changed into a temple, and inside the temple there seemed to be an image of Sri Aurobindo and an image of me but living images in a powdering of light. Then it grew into a magnificent edifice and settled in with an extraordinary power. And it remained motionless.
That is the representation of your japa.
0 1960-10-25, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Then the police got involved. They wanted to take him back to the countryside around Poona (naturally I suppose they nursed him in the meantime), but not much came out of it. Seems that wherever he remembered seeing these people, when he said he had seen them, he fainted. Finally, I was told the story, and the poor family wrote to me saying, Who are these demons with such a great power that even it withstands Mothers force as well as that of Xand who are holding our son? So X was again informed and, knowing the story of the elder brothers friend, he said, Ah, now I know where the other one is, and I hope it wont take too long. But then September 26 passedgeneral despair in the family. They wrote to me, and I concentrated.
It was just before Durga Puja,3 or just after I cant remember (dates and I dont go together)no, it was after Durga Puja. So I went into a deep concentration and, as a matter of fact, I saw that a very powerful and dangerous rakshasic4 power was involved. And then, when I started walking for my japa upstairs in my room (I had given some thought to this story and tried asking for something to be done), I suddenly saw Durga before me raising high a lance of white light the lance of light that destroys the hostile forcesand She struck into a black swarming mass of men.
But then there came a frightful reaction. For one day I was nearly as sicknot quiteas two years ago5 (they must have used the same mantra). And, you see, I who never vomit terrible vomitingeverything inside came out! Only now Im a bit more experienced than two years ago (!), so I set it right It happened here, downstairs, in the afternoon. I went right back up to my room (I didnt see anyone that afternoon), and I remained concentrated to try to find out what had happened. I saw that it came from therea backlash of those people trying to defend themselves.
--
I dont know whats going to happen to them They must have killed quite a few people. If thats discovered, theyll get what they deserve and well be rid of themtheyll become little disembodied demons! Its less dangerous.
Unless they reincarnate somewhere else. Some people are always ready to accept demons, thats the trouble!
0 1960-10-30, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
But I found this interesting, so I began looking, and I LIVED the scene, all kinds of scenes of initiation, worship, etc., for quite some time. When that lifted, a light much stronger than the last time (during the last meditation) came down, in a wonderful silence. (I might add that the first thing I did, at the beginning, was to try to establish a silence around you, to insulate you from other things so as to keep your mind quiet; it kept jumping a little, but once this light came down ) And it came down with a very hieratic quality and (how can I put this?) Egyptian in charactervery occult, very occult, very, very distinct, very specific, like this (gesture indicating a block of silence descending).
And then there came a long moment of absolutely motionless contemplation with something that now escapes meit may come back.
--
But then, just before that, there was this powdering of golden light coming down. And as it descended, it was white with a touch of gold (but it was white) and it came down in a column, with such POWER! And then, just at the end, this powdering of gold came and settled into this white light which had remained there the whole timeoh, it was so abundant. A great power of realization. I had a hard time coming out of it! At the start, I had decided to come out of it at half past, so I came out, but still not completely
So there, my child. And you, what did you feel?
--
All I know is that HERE you must be very careful not to weaken the bodys resistance (I dont just mean in India, but here in the Ashram). Here, its important the base must be solid, for otherwise its difficult. The more the Force descendsas it has just now descended the more the body must be rather square. Its important.
Ive tried everything, you know, from complete fasting to a meat dieteverything, everything. Well, I noticed that you can have pleasant experiences while fasting, but its not good, it shouldnt be donethese are all old ideas. No, the body must be solid, solid otherwise
--
L'Orpailleur, which had just been published. The man's description, as a matter of fact, bears a striking resemblance to the publisher.
The terrestrial work to be accomplished through the Agenda.
0 1960-11-05, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
To change it, you have to descend into itwhich is what Im in the midst of doing. But you know, it makes for painful moments. Anyway, once its done, it will be something. When that is done, Ill explain it to you. And then Ill have the power to restore you to health.
***
0 1960-11-08, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
How strange it is! You have the feeling of ascending, of a progress in consciousness, and everything, all the events and circumstances of life follow one another with an unquestioning logic. You see the Divine Will unfolding with a wonderful logic. Then, from time to time, there appears a little set of circumstances (either isolated or repeated), which are like snags on the way; you cant explain them, so you put them aside for later on. Some such accidents have been quite significant, but they dont seem to follow this ascending line of the present individuality. Theyre scattered along the way, sometimes repeated, sometimes only once, and then they vanish. And when you go through such an experience, you sense that they are things put aside for later on. And then, all of a sudden (especially during these last two years when I have again descended to take all that up), all of a sudden, one after another, all these snags return. And they dont follow the same curve; rather, its as if suddenly you reach a certain state and a certain impersonal breadth that far surpasses the individual, and this new state enters into contact with one of those old accidents that had remained in the deepest part of the subconscientand that makes it rise up again, the two meet in an explosion of light. Everything is explained, everything is understood, everything is clear! No explanation is needed: it has become OBVIOUS.
This is entirely another way of understandingits not an ascent, not even a descent nor an inspiration it must be what Sri Aurobindo calls a revelation. Its the meeting of this subconscious notationthis something which has remained buried within, held down so as not to manifest, but which suddenly surges forth to meet the light streaming down from above, this very vast state of consciousness that exclu des nothing and from it springs forth a lightoh, a resplendence of light!like a new explanation of the world, or of that part of the world not yet explained.
And this is the true way of knowing.
--
And, even with Sri Aurobindo, even with him I didnt speak of these things for I wouldnt waste his time, and I found it quite useless to burden him with all this. I would tell him I always described my visions and experiences at night I always recounted that to him. And he would remember (I myself would forget; the next day, the whole thing would be gone), he would remember; then sometimes, long afterwards, even years afterwards, he would say, Ah, yes! You had seen that back then. He had a wonderful memory. While myself, I would already have forgotten. But those were the only things I told him, and even then only when I saw that it had a very sure, very superior quality. I didnt bother him with a whole jumble of words. But otherwise . even Nolini,4 who understands well I never, never felt even the (its not the need) not even the POSSIBILITY.
I dont want to tell you this too precisely, to expand on it, for these things cannot be explained. I want you tonot know nor think it, but feel it suddenly, like a little electric shock within that leaps forth.
--
Later coming back to the experience She has just described, Mother added the following: 'It's a very interesting experience. It's a very powerful lever for abolishing the moral point of view in its narrowest forms. And this is precisely what I encounter all the time in peopleyou see, all those who make a spiritual effort bring me truckloads of morality!'
Original English.
0 1960-11-12, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Certainly, we CAN be heard. So far I never said anything. It even surprised me, for I had never paid it any attention, I was quite away from all that: its raining?so what, its raining, it happens. Its not raining?so what, its not raining, its the same thing. And then gradually people started mentioning that should it continue, they wouldnt be able to do their exercises, and they wouldnt be ready for December 2.1 Then I started receiving desperate lettersone person even told me he was doing his puja underwater! So I answered by saying, Take it as the Lords blessing but Im not sure he appreciated it! And then I learned that 200 houses [in the Ashram]200!are leaking. Naturally, each one is in a great hurryits terribly urgent! So perhaps I shall file a complaint and ask them what they mean by this!
Actually, if communications are interrupted, it can be troublesome Let us see.
--
Speaking of which, I looked at Ts most recent questions on the Aphorisms again. All these children havent the least sense of humor, so Sri Aurobindos paradoxes throw them into a kind of despair! The last aphorism went something like this: When I could read a wearisome book from one end to the other with pleasure, then I knew I had conquered my mind.2 So T asked me How can you read a wearisome book with pleasure?!! I had to explain it to her. And on top of that, I have to take on a rather serious tone, for were I to reply in the same ironic fashion, they would be totally drowned! It throws them into a terrible confusion!
Its a lack of plasticity in the mind, and they are bound by the expression of things; for them, words are rigid. Sri Aurobindo explained it so well in The Secret of the Veda; he shows how language evolves and how, before, it was very supple and evocative. For example, one could at once think of a river and of inspiration. Sri Aurobindo also gives the example of a sailboat and the forward march of life. And he says that for those of the Vedic age it was quite natural, the two could go together, superimposed; it was merely a way of looking at the same thing from two si des, whereas now, when a word is said, we think only of this word all by itself, and to get a clear picture we need a whole literary or poetic imagery (with explanations to boot!). Thats exactly the case with these children; theyre at a stage where everything is rigid. Such is the product of modern education. It even extracts the subtlest nuance between two words and FIXES it: And above all, dont make any mistake, dont use this word for that word, for otherwise your writings no good. But its just the opposite.
--
I listen, I answer. Its not satisfactory! I told them. But theyve kept to their idea, they like it. When that first storm came some time back (you remember, with those terrible bolts of lightning and that asuric being P.K. saw and sketched): Dont you want us to destroy something? I got angry. But it was This influence was so close and acute that it gave you goose bumps! The whole time the storm lasted, I had to hold on tight in my bed, like this (Mother closes her fists tight as in a trance or deep concentration), and I didnt movedidnt movelike a a rock during the entire storm, until he consented to go a bit further away. Then I moved. And even now, it comesfrom others (theres not just one, you see, there are many): How about a good flood? A roof collapsed the other day with someone underneath, but he was able to escape. So roofs are collapsing, houses Arouse public sympathy, we must help the Ashram! Its no good, I said. But maybe thats whats responsible for this interminable rain. And they offer so many other things oh, what they parade past me! You could write books on all this!
But generally and this is something Theon had told me (Theon was very qualified on the subject of hostile forces and the workings of all that resists the divine influence, and he was a great fighteras you might imagine! He himself was an incarnation of an asura, so he knew how to tackle these things!); he was always saying, If you make a VERY SMALL concession or suffer a minor defeat, it gives you the right to a very great victory. Its a very good trick. And I have observed, in practice, that for all things, even for the very little things of everyday life, its trueif you yield on one point (if, even though you see what should be, you yield on a very secondary and unimportant point), it immediately gives you the power to impose your will for something much more important. I mentioned this to Sri Aurobindo and he said that it was true. It is true in the world as it is today, but its not what we want; we want it to change, really change.
0 1960-11-15, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
So I understood that this must correspond to a certain realm of experience; I understood all those who say, If it has to be like this, if it can never be otherwise, then (this opposition, this abyss between a TRUE life, a TRUE consciousness, a TRUE activity, something living, powerful, fulfilling and life as it now is), if there must always be this difference between the physical expression as it is or as it can be in the present circumstances, and the true life, then For if despite everything despite this tremendous distance Ive covered in my life (these memories go back more than sixty years) and all the evolutionary effort upwards I have made since that time IN MATTER (Im not speaking of leaving Matter behind, but IN MATTER, IN action)if that doesnt further reduce this gap between the true consciousness and the possible material realization, then I understand I understand why people say, Its hopeless. (Of course, this hopeless is meaningless to me.)
But I (how can I put this?) I lived their experience, I lived it; and even events which seem quite extraordinary when seen from afar, which is the way they appear to most people, even historical things which have furthered the earths transformation and its upheavals the crucial events, the great works, you might sayare woven from the SAME fabric, they are the SAME thing! When you look at all this from afar, on the whole it can make an impression, but the life of each minute, of each hour, of each second is woven from this SAME fabric, drab, dull, insipid, WITHOUT ANY TRUE LIFEa mere reflection of life, an illusion of lifepowerless, void of any light or anything that resembles joy in the least. Oh! if it has always to remain like that, then we dont want any of it.
--
While it was all coming up, I thought, How is this possible? For during those years of my life (Im now outside things; I do them but Im entirely outside, so they dont involve mewhether its like this or like that makes no difference to me; Im only doing my work, thats all), I was already conscious, but nevertheless I was IN what I was doing to a certain extent; I was this web of social life (but thank God it wasnt here in India, for had it been here I could not have withstood it! I think that even as a child I would have smashed everything, because here its even worse than over there). You see, there its its a bit less constricting, a bit looser, you can slip through the mesh from time to time to brea the some air. But here, according to what Ive learned from people and what Sri Aurobindo told me, its absolutely unbearable (its the same in Japan, absolutely unbearable). In other words, you cant help but smash everything. Over there, you sometimes get a breath of air, but still its quite relative. And this morning I wondered (you see, for years I lived in that way for years and years) just as I was wondering, How was I ABLE to live that and not kick out in every direction?, just as I was looking at it, I saw up above, above this (it is worse than horrible, it is a kind of Oh, not despair, for there isnt even any sense of feeling there is NOTHING! It is dull, dull, dull gray, gray, gray, clenched tight, a closed web that lets through neither air nor life nor lightthere is nothing) and just then I saw a splendor of such sweet light above itso sweet, so full of true love, true compassion something so warm, so warm the relief, the solace of an eternity of sweetness, light, beauty, in an eternity of patience which feels neither the past nor the inanity and imbecility of thingsit was so wonderful! That was entirely the feeling it gave, and I said to myself, THAT is what made you live, without THAT it would not have been possible. Oh, it would not have been possible I would not have lived even three days! THAT is there, ALWAYS there, awaiting its hour, if we would only let it in.
(silence)
--
The rainy season expresses this state of things so well: a constant descent of luminous sweetness (sweetness is not the right wordthere must be a Sanskrit word for it, but this is all we have! ) in this endless gloom.
***
--
It was no longer this (that is, life as it is on earth) becoming conscious of That (the eternal soul, this portion of the Supreme as Sri Aurobindo said); it was the eternal soul seeing life in its own way but without separation, without any separation, not like something looking from above that feels itself to be different How strange it is! Its not something else, its NOT something else, its not even a distortion, not even Its losing its illusory quality as described in the old spiritualities thats not what it is! In my experience, there was there was clearly an emotion I cant describe it, there are no words. It wasnt a feeling, it was something like an emotion, a vibration of such TOTAL closeness and at the same time of compassion, a compassion of love. (Oh, words are so pitiful! ) One was this outer thing, which was the total negation of the other and AT THE SAME TIME the other, without the least separation between them. It WAS the other. So what was born in one was born in the other as well, in this eternal light. A sweetness of identity, precisely, an identity that was necessarily such total understanding with such perfect love but love says it poorly, all words are poor! Its not that; its something else! Its something that cannot be expressed.
I lived that this morning, upstairs.
0 1960-11-26, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
But immediately, the following dayDarshan dayas the thing developed (you see, something was working inside), I could again turn my attention to the people who were there. And oddly enough, just when you came, there was suddenly a kind of little shock, like an electric shock, and a spark leapt out. And at that moment the Power acted for perhaps a split second You see, there has been this bad karma, this old formation around you for a very long time, and it hadnt I recall telling you several years ago, I shall be able to cure such cases as yours only when the Supramental descends. And this feeling of incapacity, of something resisting, was still present, still aliveof not having the right power to dominate it. But just as you went by, for a second, there was this flash of like a spark when two electric wires touch. It was a golden spark, a resplendent lightzzzt! And it leapt out. Ah! I thought; its good.
That was it.
--
This interests me, for these things do not at all enter through the mind (he doesnt receive a thing there, hes closed there). So in his letter he says that this thing or that is necessary (he describes it in his own words), and he adds, This is why we must be so grateful to have among us the the great Mother7 (as he puts it), the great Mother who knows these things.Good! I said to myself. (It had to do with something specific concerning the capacity for discrimination in the outside world, the different qualities and different functions of different beings, all of which depends on ones inner construction, as it were.) So I see that even this, even these physical experiences, is received (and yet I hadnt tried, I had never tried to make him receive it); it merely works like this, you see (gesture of a wi despread diffusion), and the experience is veryhow should I say?drastic, with a kind of (power of radiation). Imperative.
Original English.
0 1960-12-13, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Later, Mother added the following: 'In this regard I don't know where, but somewhereSri Aurobindo spoke of this physical mind, and he said that there was nothing you could do with it; it must only be destroyed.'
Mother may be alluding to the following passage from The Synthesis of Yoga: 'There is nothing to be done with this fickle, restless, violent and disturbing factor but to get rid of it whether by detaching it and then reducing it to stillness or by giving a concentration and singleness to the thought by which it will of itself reject this alien and confusing clement.'
0 1960-12-17, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
(Soon afterwards, concerning the conversation of November 5 on the subconscious roots in the cells that can make everything fall apart in a second: To change it, you have to descend into it it makes for painful moments Once its done, Ill have the power )
When was this? November 5? And now its December 17 Well, its still continuing!
0 1960-12-20, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
And now, all these different attitu des which individuals, groups and categories of men hold are coming from every direction (while Im walking upstairs) to assert their own points of view as the true thing. And I see that for myself, Im being forced to deal with a whole mass of things, most of which are quite futile from an ordinary point of viewnot to mention the things of which these moral or religious types disapprove. Quite interestingly, all kinds of mental formations come like arrows while Im walking for my japa upstairs (Mother makes a gesture of little arrows in the air coming into her mental atmosphere from every direction); and yet, Im entirely in what I could call the joy and happiness of my japa, full of the energy of walking (the purpose of walking is to give a material energy to the experience, in all the bodys cells). Yet in spite of this, one thing after another comes, like this, like that (Mother draws little arrows in the air): what I must do, what I must answer to this person, what I must say to that one, what has to be done All kinds of things, most of which might be considered most futile! And I see that all this is SITUATED in a totality, and this totality I could say that its nothing but the body of the Divine. I FEEL it, actually, I feel it as if I were touching it everywhere (Mother touches her arms, her hands, her body). And all these things neither veil nor destroy nor divert this feeling of being entirely this a movement, an action in the body of the Divine. And its increasing from day to day, for it seems that He is plunging me more and more into entirely material things with the will that THERE TOO it must be done that all these things must be consciously full of Him; they are full of Him, in actual fact, but it must become conscious, with the perception that it is all the very substance of His being which is moving in everything
It was quite beautiful on the balcony this morning
0 1960-12-23, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I sat down shortly before ten oclock for meditation. I was in my normal state and I was interested to see if there would be any difference from earlier times. And really, at first there was no difference at all. Then slowly, slowly, I felt this type of smiling and serene peace that I live in entering into the body. The cells are still not always conscious of it (sometimes they feel a sort of tension of life I dont know what to call it). Theyre conscious of their existence and of what it means and of the Energy that is acting (yes, conscious of the Action and the Energy that acts), but during the meditation THAT descended and there was an extraordinary relaxation. Not the relaxation that comes with surrender,1 which I normally feel before sleeping, but the relaxation that comes from a kind of serene, immutable and eternal joy. At that moment the body felt it could remain like that forever! Oh, how nice I feel! it said. And as a matter of fact, Im not sure but I think he felt the meditation was over, whereas I was still I felt him stirring, so I stopped.
There was a marked difference.
For when something isnt right, a pressure always comes down on the body from above, the pressure of the descending Force. But in this case it wasnt that at all; rather, it was like this (Mother holds her palms upwards in an attitude of total surrender), but beatific in that it lives in itself, it is existence in itself and thats all.
I came here in that state directly after the meditation, and when I sat down You see, I didnt even have the (naturally there is no question of idea) I dont know, not even the instinct to pick up a flower for you, you understand? And when I sat down here, the consciousness of the column of Light started coming. There was no more personality, no more individuality: there was only a column of Light descending right into the very cells of the body and thats all.
Then it gradually became conscious of itself, conscious of BEING this column of Light. And then the ordinary consciousness slowly returned.
0 1960-12-31, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I was in my home, somewherea world whose light is like a sun (golden with scarlet reflections); it was very beautiful. It was in a town, and my house was in that town. I wanted to take to someone some not presents, but things he needed. So I got everything together, prepared it all, and then loaded my arms with all the packages (I had taken my own time to arrange everything nicely), and I went out when the whole town was completely deserted there was not a soul on the streets. A complete solitude. And such a sense of well-being, of light and force! Yes, really a kind of felicity, for no reason. And instead of weighing me down, it seemed as if my packages were pulling me! They pulled me on in such a way that each step was a joy, like a dance.
This lasted the whole time I was crossing the town. Then I came to a border, right at the beginning of another part where I was to take my packages; there, just a little below me, I saw a house under construction the house belonging to the person to whom I had to deliver these presents (the symbolism in all this, of course, is quite clear).
0 1961-01-10, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Put this way, there is no need to bring the principle of love into our explanation. But if we want to know or understand the nature of the Force or Power that permits and accomplishes this transformation (specially in the case of evil, but for ugliness to some extent as well), we see that of all powers, Love is obviously the mightiest, the most integralintegral in that it applies to all cases. Its even mightier than the power of purification which dissolves bad wills and is, in a way, master over the adverse forces, but which doesnt have the direct transforming power; because the power of purification Must FIRST dissolve in order to form again later. It destroys one form to make a better one from it, while Love doesnt need to dissolve in order to transform: it has the direct transforming power. Love is like a flame changing the hard into the malleable, then sublimating even the malleable into a kind of purified vapor. It doesnt destroy: it transforms.
Love, in its essence and in its origin, is like a white flame obliterating ALL resistances. You can have the experience yourself: whatever the difficulty in your being, whatever the weight of accumulated mistakes, the ignorance, incapacity, bad will, a single SECOND of this Lovepure, essential, suprememelts everything in its almighty flame. One single moment and an entire past can vanish. One single TOUCH of That in its essence and the whole burden is consumed.
--
If you go high enough, you come to the Heart of everything. Whatever manifests in this Heart can manifest in all things. This is the great secret, the secret of divine incarnation in an individual form. For in the normal course of things, what manifests at the center is only realized in the outer form with the awakening and RESPONSE Of the will within the individual form. But if the central Will is constantly, permanently represented in one individual, he can then serve as an intermediary between that Will and all beings, and will FOR THEM. Whatever this being perceives and consciously offers to the supreme Will is replied to as if it came from each individual being. And if individuals happen to be in a more or less conscious and voluntary relationship with this representative being, their relationship increases his efficacy and the supreme Action can work in Matter in a much more concrete and permanent way. This is the reason for these descents of what could be called polarized consciousnesses that always come to earth for a particular realization, with a definite purpose and missiona mission decided upon before the actual embodiment. These mark the great stages of the supreme incarnations upon earth.
And when the day comes for the manifestation of supreme Lovea crystalized, concentrated descent of supreme Love that will truly be the hour of Transformation, for nothing will be able to resist That.
But as its all-powerful, a certain receptivity must be prepared on earth so its effects are not devastating. Sri Aurobindo has explained it in one of his letters. Someone asked him, Why doesnt this Love come now?, and he replied something like this: If divine Love in its essence were to manifest on earth, it would be like an explosion; for the earth is not supple enough or receptive enough to widen to the measure of this Love. The earth must not only open itself but become wide and supple. Matternot just physical Matter, but the substance of the physical consciousness as wellis still much too rigid.
0 1961-01-22, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Then last night I saw the symbol, the image of the thing. But what was it? It was an element in the most material Matter,3 because it was deep down below; yet despite it all, Mother Nature was in charge there: she was familiar with everything, knew everything and it was all at her disposalabsolutely the most material Nature. And she herself had no light, but was very, very she had a concealed power that was completely invisible.
Each time I set out to leave her domain and ascend above, it triggered a hurricane. I would pass this way and the storm started up, pass that way, unleash a gale. Finally she approached me and said very gently, very sweetly, in a most unassuming way, No, dont go there, dont go! Dont try to return to your home. They have set up a dreadful hurricane! And artificial: there were explosions like bombs everywhere, and even worse, like thunderbolts. One could see the artificial tricks and electrical effects they were using to create their thunder, but it was on a tremendous scale!
--
But all of that is wonderfully, accurately expressed and EXPLAINED in Savitri. Only you must know how to read it! The entire last part, from the moment she goes to seek Satyavan in the realm of Death (which affords an occasion to explain this), the whole description of what happens there, right up to the end, where every possible offer is made to tempt her, everything she must refuse to continue her terrestrial labor it is my experience EXACTLY.
Savitri is really a condensation, a concentration of the universal Mother the eternal universal Mother, Mother of all universes from all eternityin an earthly personality for the Earths salvation. And Satyavan is the soul of the Earth, the Earths jiva. So when the Lord says, he whom you love and whom you have chosen, it means the earth. All the details are there! When she comes back down, when Death has yielded at last, when all has been settled and the Supreme tells her, Go, go with him, the one you have chosen, how does Sri Aurobindo describe it? He says that she very carefully takes the SOUL of Satyavan into her arms, like a little child, to pass through all the realms and come back down to earth. Everything is there! He hasnt forgotten a single detail to make it easy to understand for someone who knows how to understand. And it is when Savitri reaches the earth that Satyavan regains his full human stature.
These seem to be the forces ruling the subconscious mechanisms or reactions of the body: all the automatism produced by evolution and atavismwhat might be termed evolutionary habits. This is the ' descending path,' which started forty years earlier, as Mother said (or the 'physical plunge' referred to by Sri Aurobindo), leading to the pure cellular consciousness.
0 1961-01-24, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Then, with the same precision, the same calm, the same deliberate, clear and concentrated consciousness (absolutely NOTHING MENTAL), I began to come back down. And as I was descending, I realized that all the difficulty I had been fighting the other day and which had created this illness was absolutely ended, ANNULLEDmastered. Actually, it was not even mastery but the non-existence of anything to be mastered: Simply THE vibration from top to bottom; yet there was neither high nor low nor any direction.
And it went on like that. After this, Slowly, Still WITHOUT MOVING, everything went back into each of the different centers of the being. (Ah, let me say parenthetically that it wasnt AT ALL the ascent of a force like the ascent of the Kundalini! It had absolutely nothing to do with the Kundalini movement and the centers, it wasnt that at all.) But while re- descending, it was as though WITHOUT LEAVING THIS STATE, without leaving this state which remained conscious ALL the time, this supreme Consciousness began to reactivate the different centers: first here (Mother points to the center above the head and then touches the crown of the head, the forehead, throat, chest, etc.) then there, there, there. At each there was a pause while this new realization organized everything. It organized and made the necessary decisions, sometimes down to the most minute details: what had to be done in this case or said in that case; and all of that TOGETHER, at once, not one by one but seen entirely as a whole. It kept on descending I noted many things, it was extremely interestingdown and down, farther and farther, right to the depths. Everything went on at the same time,7 simultaneously, and at the same time this supreme Consciousness was organizing everything separately.8
This descending reorganization ended exactly when the clock struck one. At that moment I knew that I had to go into trance for the work to be perfected, but until then I was wide awake.
So I slipped into trance.
--
In the Vedas, the panis and dasyus represent beings or forces hidden in subterranean caves who have stolen the 'Riches' or the 'Lights', symbolized by herds of cows. With the help of the gods, the Aryan warrior must recover these lost riches, the 'sun in the darkness,' by igniting the flame of sacrifice. It is the path of subterranean descent.
Indra represents the king of the gods, the master of mental power freed from the limitations and obscurities of the physical consciousness.
0 1961-01-27, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
To illustrate this, an interesting thing came upyesterday, I think. (All these experiences come to show me the difference, as if to give proof of the change.) Someone had had a dream about me whispered to him by the adverse forces for specific reasons (I wont go into the details). He was much affected by it, so he wrote down the dream and gave it to me. I was carrying his letter along with all the others, as I usually do, but suddenly I knew I had to read it right away: I read it. Then I saw the whole thing with such clarity, precision, accuracy: how it had come about, how the dream had been produced, its effect the whole functioning of all the forces. As I read along and it went on unfolding, I did what was necessary for him (he was present at the time) in order to undo what the adverse forces had done. Then at the end, when I had finished, said everything, explained what it was all about and what had to be done, something SO CATEGORICAL came into me (I cannot verbalize this kind of experience, it is what I call the difference in power: something categorical). I took the letter, uttered a few words (which I wont repeat) and said, You see, its like this: so much for that, and I ripped the letter a first time. Then, thats for that, I tore it a second time and so on. I ripped it up five times and the fifth time I saw that their power was destroyed.
I have done these things beforeits a knowledge I already hadand it always had its effect when I did them; its not that I am passing from powerlessness to power, not at all. But its this kind of yes, something definite, absolutea kind of absolute in vision, in knowledge, in action and ABOVE ALL in powera kind of absolute that doesnt need to conquer obstacles and resistances, but ANNULS the resistance automatically. Then I saw that something had truly changed.
--
Yes. While speaking, you see, I went back to the origin of sound (Sri Aurobindo describes it very clearly in Savitri: the origin of sound, the moment when what we called the Word becomes a sound). So I had a kind of perception of the essential sound before it becomes a material sound. And I said, When this essential sound becomes a material sound, it will give birth to the new expression which will express the supramental world. I had the experience itself at that moment, it came directly. I spoke in English and Sri Aurobindo was concretely, almost palpably, present.
Now it has gone away.
0 1961-02-07, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It has been good for it (not externally, but inwardly, for its state of consciousness: the body-consciousness), it has done the body some good, but. Now its like this (Mother opens her hands in a gesture of total surrender). For each blow it receives (its a bludgeoning, my child!), for each blow, it remains like this (same gesture). Yesterday, to make it happy, I wrote down something like this (concerning its latest difficulty): If this present difficulty is useful (its the body addressing the Lord, and the Lord. its a perpetual adoration: all the cells vibrate, vibrate with the joy of Love; yet despite that ), if this or that difficulty is useful for Your Workso be it. But if it is an effect of my stupidity (its the body speaking), if its an effect of my own stupidity, then I beseech You to cure me of this stupidity as quickly as possible.
It doesnt ask to be cured of the illness! It doesnt ask, it is ready; All right, it says. As long as I can keep going, I will keep going. As long as I can last, I will last. But thats not what Im asking for: I am asking to be cured of my stupidity. I believe this is what enables it to yes, what gives it the necessary endurance.
0 1961-02-11, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It is attached to nothing: none of its habits, none of its ways of being-nothing. It says in all sincerity, I ask only for the Light, only to change. That is its state. it has never, never said, Oh, Im tired, Ive had enough! Bah! Its not like that. It is attached to nothing for a long, long time it has ceased to have desiresit is attached to nothing at all, to nothing. There isnt a single thing for which it says, Oh, I cant do without that! Not one. It doesnt care-if something comes, it takes it; if it doesnt come, the body doesnt think about it. In other words, its truly good-natured. But if this isnt sufficient, then it doesnt know and it says, If there is something I cant do or I dont know or I am not doing It asks for nothing more than to make the necessary effort!
(silence)
--
Kali symbolizes the destroying or warrior-like aspect of the universal Mother: it is she who severs all bonds ... out of love.
The 'pipe' is obviously symbolic.
0 1961-02-18, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But is it necessary to descend to the same level as all these subconscious things? Cant they be acted upon from above?
Act from above. My child, I have been acting from above for more than thirty years! It changes nothingor if it changes it doesnt transform.
Then one must descend to that level?
Yes. By acting from above, one can keep these things under control, hold them in place, prevent them from taking any unpleasant initiatives, but thats not. To transform means to transform.
Even mastery can be achievedits quite easy to do from above. But for the transformation one must descend, and that is terrible. Otherwise, the subconscient will never be transformed, it will remain as it is.
One can even pose as a superman! (Mother laughs) But it remains like that (gesture in the air), its not the real thing. Its not the new creation, its not the next step in terrestrial evolution.
--
The day victory is won, all this will become infinitely interesting. But why speak of it if the victory isnt won? It just makes another lengthy description of failures.
I dont believe in failure.
--
And the same goes for their stories about attachments and desiresmy god! Theres nothing to it! Imagine, with anything concerning my body, through all this horror of the subconscient, NOT ONCE have I had to bear the consequence of a desire; I have always had to bear the consequences of the battle against lifes unconscious and malicious resistances, but not once has something come up like that (gesture of something resurging from below) to tell me, You see! You had a desire, now heres the result of it! Not oncevery, very sincerely.
Thats really not the difficulty the difficulty is that the world is not ready! The very substance one is made of (Mother touches her body) shares in the worlds lack of preparationnaturally! Its the same thing, the very same thing. Perhaps there is a tiny bit more light in this body, but so little that its not worth mentioning-its all the same thing. Oh, a sordid slavery!
0 1961-02-25, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The first sign is perfect equality as Sri Aurobindo has described it (you must know it, theres a whole chapter on equality, samat, in The Synthesis of Yoga)exactly as he described it with such wonderful precision! But this equality (which is not equanimity) is a particular STATE where one relates to all things, outer and inner, and to each individual thing, in the same way. That is truly perfect equality: vibrations from things, from people, from contacts have no power to alter that state.
In my reply I mentioned this first, though I didnt give him all these explanations. I put it in a few words as a kind of test of his intelligence, and in a somewhat cryptic form to see if he would understand.
The second sign is a sense of ABSOLUTENESS in knowledge. As I have already told you, I had this with my experience of January 24. This state CANNOT be obtained through any region of the mind, even the most illumined and exalted. Its not a certainty, its (Mother lowers both hands like an irresistible block descending), a kind of absoluteness, without even any possibility of hesitation (theres no question of doubt), or anything like that. Without (how to say it ?). All mental knowledge, even the highest, is a conclusive knowledge, as it were: it comes as a conclusion of something elsean intuition, for instance (an intuition gives you a particular knowledge, and this knowledge is like the conclusion of the intuition). Even revelations are conclusions. Theyre all conclusions the word conclusion comes to me, but I dont know how to express it. This isnt the case, however, with the supramental experiencea kind of absolute. The feeling it gives is altogether uniquefar beyond certainty, it is (Mother again makes the same irresistible gesture) it is a FACT, things are FACTS. It is very, very difficult to explain. But with that one naturally has a complete power the two things always go together. (In my reply to this man I didnt speak of power because the power is almost a consequence and I didnt want to speak of consequences.) But the fact remains: a kind of absoluteness in knowledge springing from identityone is the thing one knows and experiences: one is it. One knows it because one is it.
When these two signs are present (both are necessary, one is incomplete without the other), when a person possesses both, then you can be sure he has been in contact with the Supermind. So people who speak about receiving the Light well, (laughing) its a lot of hot air! But when both signs are present, you can be sure of your perception.12
--
Formerly, when it couldnt do its work, the body had a kind of impatiencea feeling that despite all its aspiration and goodwill to be a fit instrument, these disorders were barring the way. Even this has completely gone.
Now the body has a kind of extraordinary smile for everything. At the end of the day, with the accumulation of everything coming from the people I have seen and the work I have done, when I have to push and pull myself just to climb the stairs because my legs are like iron rods, without any will (thats the most terrible part: they dont respond to the will), even at times like these, when my arms are what pull me up the stairs (no longer my legs), the body doesnt protest, doesnt protest. Then it begins walking back and forth for japa. And after half an hour of walking, things are infinitely better (Mother makes a gesture of the Force descending into her body).
(silence)
--
Even absolute is not strong enough (Mother makes a gesture of a solid block descending). That is why one speaks of an irrevocable, irremediable absolute but I dont know how to express it. And NOTHING BUT this Absolute exists, there is nothing else. There is only that.
And everything is there in it.
0 1961-03-04, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Things are going very badly: a pack of enemies assailing me, friends deserting usits going very, very badly. Then yesterday evening, while I was walking for japa and all these good tidings were arriving, I said to the Lord, Listen, Lord, you have Indra to help the good people I beseech you, send him to me; he has some work to do!(Mother laughs) Then my walk became so amusing! I was watching them come in as I walked Indra and all the other godsand they were hard at work. Delightful!
Hibiscus, double flower, light pink.
0 1961-03-11, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The tree of knowledge symbolizes this kind of knowledge a material knowledge, no longer divine because its origin was the sense of division and this is what began to spoil everything. How long did this period last? I am unable to say. (Because my recollection is of an almost immortal life; it seems that it was through some sort of evolutionary accident that the destruction of forms became necessary for progress.) And where did it take place? From certain impressions (but these are only impressions), it would seem that it was in the vicinity of either this side of Ceylon and India or the other, I dont know exactly (Mother indicates the Indian Ocean either west of Ceylon and India or to the east between Ceylon and Java), although certainly the place no longer exists; it must have been swallowed up by the sea. I have a very clear vision of the place and a consciousness of that life and its forms, but I cant give precise material details. Did it last for centuries, was it ? I dont know. To tell the truth, when I was reliving those moments I wasnt curious about such details (for one is in another mental state where there is no curiosity about material details: all things turn into psychological facts). It was something so simple, luminous, harmonious, far removed from all our usual preoccupationsthose very preoccupations with time and space. It was a spontaneous life, extremely beautiful, and so close to Naturea natural flowering of animal life. There were no oppositions or contradictions, nothing of the kindeverything happened in the best way possible.
(silence)
0 1961-03-21, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
When I came down this morning I didnt want my cold to disturb the meditation with X, and this immobility came (Mother brings down her fists, showing a solid mass descending). Its what he uses for healing and I must say that the same thing happens to me, even when it doesnt come from him: a Force that seizes everything, stops everythingno more vibrations, an immobility.
I had told N. to knock at the door when he arrived with X, but he didnt do itluckily I heard the door opening. I stood up, still in that state and almost fell over! X must have thought I was having a spell of weakness or something, because I was holding onto the arms of the chair, and when I took his flowers, my hands were trembling I wasnt in my body. And afterwards, ah, what a concentration! We remained in it for about thirty-five minutes. It was SOLIDan extraordinary solidity! I didnt want to waste time waiting for it to subside before coming here, and you must have seen how I was when I arrived: like a sleepwalker! I said to the people I passed in the corridor, Im coming back, Im coming back! Thats all I could say, like an idiot.
0 1961-03-25, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It was mainly on your right side I banged on it. But strangely enough, it didnt break it became supple, but then it lost its beauty. (It was so beautiful, as though sculptured!) I tried to pass through it, but to do so (this is what I found interesting), instead of passing through at this level (the chest), the psychic plane the level of the souls vibration I had to climb up above and then descend; and finally, without even realizing it, I found myself inside I had entered through sheer force of concentration. There, at the vital level, the emotional vital (solar plexus), I put two flowers: one very large Endurance in the Most Material Vital [zinnia] and another flower like the one X just gave me [cosmos] but bigger and pure white (it concerns sexual movements, light in sexual movements). But curiously enough, I passed inside through a trance; I was quite busy trying to make it more fluid when all at once, poof! I found myself inside. But since I entered through a trance it became completely objective: no more thought, nothing. And I saw I had put these two flowers there (at the levels of the abdomen and chest), one more active, a very large, dark purple Endurance flower, and another much smaller, pure white, slightly lower down. While I was watching this I think the clock must have struck something pulled me and it all faded away.
And I found it interesting that when I received your letter yesterday evening I concentrated for a moment, almost out of curiosity: Why doesnt he ever feel he has an experience? Why doesnt he feel anything? I wanted to know precisely what type of experience would give you the feeling of having an experience!
--
Of course, all of you would be perfectly justified in replying, What good does that do if were not aware of it! But it must be a phenomenon like the one I described. I am looking for the reason something which refuses the knowledge. A part of the being is refusingalthough not consciouslyto become aware of the experience.
Can I do something practical about it?
0 1961-03-27, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I dont know, because N. said quite categorically: X told me that on arriving for this mornings meditation he had some difficulties and it took him five minutes to get over it; an adverse force was present. N. was quite positive and I even made him repeat it. Are you sure, I asked him, that it didnt happen when X came to you? No, N. replied, X met that force THERE. He said THERE! Yet that it could have been there, with all the force, light and peace that descended is incomprehensible to me. Because the first thing I do when I sit down is to make a thorough cleaning.
It ruffles me because its like a negation of my power. Till yesterday I had never experienced anything of the kind! On the 29th, you know, it will be forty-seven years since I first came here3thats not exactly yesterday! And ever since I began working with Sri Aurobindo, I have had the sense of this Power, it has never left me; so. It is disconcerting to have this kind of episode come up after such a long time.
--
Yes, its as if I were living, as if the BODY were living ( despite all the illnesses and attacks, all the ill will besetting it), living in a bath of the divine vibrationbathing in something immenseimmense, immense limitless, and so stable! The body lives in it like this (gesture as if Mother were floating). So even when there is what we call physical pain, even when there are blows to morale (like having a cashier ask you for money and you have none to give him5), well, despite it all, despite all the possible complications (coming all at the same time), EVERYTHING, everything that happens now, even things which seem extremely unpleasant to our mental conceptions or our mental reactions, everything is a bath, a bath of the vibration of divine Love. So much so that if I didnt control my body, I would be smiling at everything all the time like an idiot. A beatific smile for everything (I dont show it because I control myself).
(silence, the clock strikes the hour)
--
In the occult sense, a 'formation' signifies a concentration of power or force directed towards a particular goal. it is like a bullet of force going inexorably to its target. In fact, all beings are constantly making 'formations' with their thoughts and desires, but these formations have scarcely any power other than that of clinging to the one who has made them or returning upon him like a boomerang.
The following undated note (which could date from this or any number of other times!) was found among Mother's scattered papers: Now the situation has become very critical, all the reserves have been swallowed up, there are debts, many important works remain unfinished and the daily life has become a problem. It is the subsistence of more than 1,200 people which is in question.
0 1961-04-08, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yes, of course. But its basically a description of my sadhana, thats all, and I always say that it will be interesting only if I go through to the end.
Bah!
0 1961-04-15, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
All kinds of things are coming up from the subconscient. We seem to be constantly descending instead of ascending.
Oh, the subconscient! Every night its a real invasion of things that are so the WHOLE subconscient keeps coming up, coming up, coming upnot just mine but everybodys. There seems to be no end to it.
--
And in the evening before going to sleep I read the Vedas, which aggravates the situation. Because those people rememberei ther they have heard of it, or they remember it themselvesa supramental realization; and they describe it all so beautifully that it makes you feel very far from it, so very, very far.
After that, I spend hours concentrated in prayernot exactly prayer but (gesture palms turned upwards), like that, beseeching.
0 1961-04-18, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
This has made it very clear to me why certain things can illuminate some people (I have clearly seen it) and drive others utterly madcompletely destroy their balance. You might say to me, Then its because they had to go mad! Yes, evidently.
But even if its put in absolute terms, the relationships remain exactly the same.6 You see, the initial impulse is to say, Whats the use of doing anything? But look here, the very fact that you might want to do something is part of the general determinism! Because we always keep something back and wont admit it into the total scheme of things, otherwise. There is no way to get out of it thats just the way it is.
0 1961-04-29, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Another thing happened to me in a fishing village near A., on the seashore, where there is a temple dedicated to Kalia terrible Kali. I dont know what happened to her, but she had been buried with only her head sticking out! A fantastic story I knew nothing about it at all. I was going by car from A. to this temple and halfway there a black form, in great agitation, came rushing towards me, asking for my help: Ill give you everything I haveall my power, all the peoples worshipif you help me to become omnipotent! Of course, I answered her as she deserved! I later asked who this was, and they told me that some sort of misfortune had befallen her and she had been buried with only her head above ground. And every year this fishing village has a festival and slaughters thousands of chickensshe likes chicken! Thousands of chickens. They pluck them on the spot (the whole place gets covered with feathers), and then, after offering the blood and making the sacrifice, the people, naturally, eat them all up. The day I came this had taken place that very morningfea thers littered everywhere! It was disgusting. And she was asking for my help!
But the curious thing is that these vital beings are aware of what is happening. I knew nothing about any of it, neither the story, nor the being, nor the head sticking out of the ground and she wanted me to get her out of it. They feel the atmosphere. They are awarethey may not be conscious on higher planes, but they are conscious on vital planes, aware of vital power and the vital force it represents. Its like this asura from M.: when I came in he suddenly seemed to tremble on his pe destal; then he left his idol and came to seek my alliance.
--
In churches, I dont know. I havent been to them very often. I have been to mosques and templesJewish temples. The Jewish temples in Paris have such beautiful music; oh, what beautiful music! I had one of my first experiences in a temple. It was at a marriage, and the music was wonderfulSaint-Saens, I later learned; organ music, the second best organ in Pariswonderful! I was 14 years old, sitting high up in the galleries with my mother, and this music was being played. There were some leaded-glass windowswhite, with no designs. I was gazing at one of these windows, feeling uplifted by the music, when suddenly through the window came a flash like a bolt of lightning. Just like lightning. It enteredmy eyes were openit entered like this (Mother strikes her breast violently), and then I I had the feeling of becoming vast and all-powerful. And it lasted for days.
Of course, my mother was such an out-and-out materialist, thank God, that it was impossible to speak to her of invisible thingsshe took them as evidence of a deranged brain! Nothing counted for her but what could be touched and seen. But this was a divine grace I had no opportunity to say anything. I kept my experience to myself. But it was one of my first contacts with. I learned later that it was an entity from the past who had come back into me through the aspiration arising from the music.
--
Narayana: another name of Vishnu, one of the gods of the Hindu trinity. He watches over the creation, whereas Brahma is the creator and Shiva the destroyer.
Rakshasa: demon of the vital plane, as opposed to an asura, a demon of the mental world.
0 1961-05-19, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And despite everything, our translations of Sri Aurobindo are superior to those published in France; because those translations you know.
Its an absolute betrayal.
0 1961-06-17, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Its a contemplation going right up to the Supreme, with a constant, continuous descent: something which doesnt waver the whole time (doesnt waver I mean doesnt vary), during the whole meditation. But if I ask him what happened, hell tell me a little story!
Yesterday I saw N. and he told me, Oh! X had an experience during the meditation with you this morning. Ah! I said to myself, This is going to be interesting. (I was wrong to think so, by the way, even for a quarter of a second.) Yes, he told me, he saw what seemed to be a transparent golden veil descending over you; and by your side were flowers like roses, or colored like roses, with the feet of a child upon them.
All the psychics tell you such stories!
--
Whenever there was a special force descending, or an opening, or a supramental manifestation, we would know it at the same time, in the same manner. And we didnt even need to talk about it; we would sometimes exchange a word or two concerning the consequences, the practical effects on the work, but thats all. I never had this with anyone except Sri Aurobindo.
There have been times when I did things for people and they sensed exactly what I had done. It has happened. It is rather rare, but still it has happened.
0 1961-06-24, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(Mother remains silent for a moment, then says:) Over the years I have had a considerable number of experiences in this realm, and my first action is always the same: send the Peace (I do this in all cases, for everyone) and apply the Force, the Power of the Lord, for the best thing to happen. Some people are very sick, sick to the point where there is no hope, where they cannot be cured, where the end is coming; but they sense that their souls must still need to have certain experiences, so they hang on-they dont want to die. In such cases I apply the Force for them to last as long as possible. In other cases, on the contrary, they are weary of suffering, or indeed the soul has finished its experience and desires to be liberated. In such a case, if I am sure of it, sure that they themselves are expressing the desire to depart, its over in a few hours I say this with certainty because Ive had a considerable number of experiences. There is a certain force which goes out and does what is necessary. I havent done either of these things for your fathernei ther to prolong his life (because when people are suffering its not very kind to prolong their lives indefinitely), nor to finish it, because I didnt knowone cant do either without knowing the persons conscious wish.
As for your mother, she must have been thinking of me, for otherwise she wouldnt have come in that wayshe would have come through you (its different when things come through you). But she came to me directly, so I thought that for some reason she must have remembered me. I dont know. And I looked and said to myself (it came just like that), Now that she will be left all alone, why doesnt she come here? I havent done anything about that, either, one way or the other.
--
There have been very, very few cases, a quite minimal number, when people have called (not very sincerely) and their call hasnt had much effect. But even these people have a protection. There was a woman here, an old woman who was not very sincere (she didnt live hereshe only came to visit) and the last time she visited she fell ill and died. Then I saw that she was completely dispersed into all her desires, all her memories, all her attachments and it had all been scattered here and there, into all sorts of things (one part of her was seeking, seeking where to go and what to do); anyway, it was rather pitiful. Afterwards I was asked, How did it happen? She was calling all the time. I replied that I had not heard her callit must not have been very sincere, only a formula.4
But its very rare that people get no response.
0 1961-06-27, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Its like asking if certain elements will disappear from the universe. What can it mean, the destruction of a universe? Once we are out of our stupidity, what can we call destruction? Only the form is destroyed, the appearance (that, yesall appearances are destroyed, one after the other). It is also said (its written everywhere) that the adverse forces will either be converted that is, become aware of their own divinity and become divineor be destroyed. But what does destroyed mean? Their form? Their form of consciousness can be dissolved, but what about the something which brings itand everything elseinto existence? How can that something be destroyed? This, mon petit, is difficult to comprehend. The universe is a conscious objectification of That which exists from all eternity. Well, how can the All cease to be? The infinite and eternal All, without limits of any kindhow can anything be thrown out of it? There is nowhere to go! (You can rack your brains over it, you know!) Go where? There is only THAT.
And even when we say there is only that we are situating it somewherewhich is perfectly idiotic. It is everywhereso how can anything be thrown out of it?
Of course, one can conceive of a universe being thrown out of the present manifestation that, yes; one can conceive of successive universes, with what was in the first universes no longer being in the othersits even obvious. One can imagine how a whole sum of falsity and untruth (what for us, NOW, is falsity and untruth) may come to no longer belong to the world in its future unfolding; one can comprehend all that. But destroy? Where can it go to be destroyed? When we say something is destroyed, its only a form which is destroyed (it may be a form of consciousness, it may not be a material form, but its always a form). But how can the formless be destroyed?
Therefore, to speak of an absolute falsehood disappearing would simply mean that a whole set of things will live eternally in the past but not belong to the coming manifestations, thats all.
--
We are told that when you ascend both beyond Nirvana or Nothingness and beyond Existence (the two SIMULTANEOUS and complementary aspects of the Supreme), there is a state of consciousness where all simultaneously and eternally exists. Thusalthough God knows, it may be yet another stupiditywe can conceive of a whole set of things passing into Non-Being, and for our consciousness this would be disappearance or destruction.
Is it possible? I dont know. We would have to ask the Lord! But He generally doesnt answer such questionsHe just smiles!
0 1961-07-04, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
You know, Savitri is an exact descriptionnot literature, not poetry (although the form is very poetical)an exact description, step by step, paragraph by paragraph, page by page; as I read, I relived it all. Besi des, many of my own experiences that I recounted to Sri Aurobindo seem to have been incorporated into Savitri. He has included many of themNolini says so; he was familiar with the first version Sri Aurobindo wrote long ago, and he said that an enormous number of experiences were added when it was taken up again. This explained to me why suddenly, as I read it, I live the experienceline by line, page by page. The realism of it is astounding.
As for me, Im now on the second part of On Himself ; I am beginning to enjoy myself.
0 1961-07-07, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
This happens quite often on the balcony, because there I am concentrated on the descending Light. Then, very often, the body becomes completely still, like this.
That way one can last. Very well. Lets work.
--
Sri Aurobindo also had to struggle against this because he too received a Christian education. And these Aphorisms are the result the floweringof the necessity to struggle against the subconscious formation which has produced such questions (Mother takes on a scandalized tone): How can God be weak? How can God be foolish? How. But there is nothing but God! He alone exists, there is nothing outside of Him. And whatever seems repugnant to us is something He no longer wishes to existHe is preparing the world so that this no longer manifests, so that the manifestation can pass beyond this state to something else. So of course we violently reject everything in us that is destined to leave the active manifestation. There is a movement of rejection.
Yet it is He. There is nothing other than He! This should be repeated from morning to night, from night to morning, because we forget it every minute.
--
The experience I described the day I said I have something to tell you [January 24, 1961] was truly very pleasant and I did try to relive it but I never could. Whenever I try, whenever something in me insists on recapturing the experience, I always see a Smile and something tells me, No, no! Let go! Youll see, youll see. So I let go.
All right, thats enough-enough for you!
0 1961-07-15, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And it has become acute since.1 No, I dont read these days, because Ive had a hemorrhage in this eye. There have been too many letters, and its difficult for me to decipher handwriting the result is this hemorrhage. So I have gone on strike. All right, I said, I wont read any letters for a week. People can write as much as they please, its all the same to me Im not reading any more. But just before stopping (I stopped reading for only three days), I read a passage where Sri Aurobindo speaks of his own experience and his own work and explains in full what he means by the supramental transformation. This passage confirmed and made me understand many experiences I had after that experience of the bodys ascent [January 24, 1961] (the ascent of the body-consciousness, followed by the descent of the supramental force into the body); immediately afterwards, everything (how to put it?) outwardly, according to ordinary consciousness, I fell ill; but its stupid to speak this way I did not fall ill! All possible difficulties in the bodys subconscient rose up en masseit had to happen, and it surely happened to Sri Aurobindo, too. How well I understood! How well, indeed. And its no joke, you know! I had wondered why these difficulties had hounded him so ferociouslynow I understand, because I am being attacked in the same relentless fashion.
Actually, it springs from everything in material consciousness that can still be touched by the adverse forces; that is, not exactly the body-consciousness itself but, one could say, material substance as it has been organized by the mind the initial mentalization of matter, the first stirrings of mind in life making the passage from animal to human. (The same complications would probably exist in animals, but as there is no question of trying to supramentalize animals, all goes well for them.) Well, something in there protests, and naturally this protest creates disorder. These past few days I have been seeing. No one has ever followed this path! Sri Aurobindo was the first, and he left without telling us what he was doing. I am literally hewing a path through a virgin forestits worse than a virgin forest.
--
Because evidently I cant say that my experiences are the result of a mental aspiration or will or knowledge I dont know, I dont know at all. I dont know how it should be, nor what it should be, nor anything at all. I dont know what should be done, I dont know what should not be donenothing. Its truly a blind march (gesture of groping along), in a desert riddled with all possible traps and difficulties and obstaclesall this heaped together. Eyes blindfolded, knowing nothing (same gesture of groping blindly), one plods on.
The only thing to do is to be like this (Mother turns her hands towards the Heights in a gesture of abandonment). Provided you dont fall asleep! You mustnt enter into a beatific state where you. No, we must keep moving on.
0 1961-07-18, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
In line with this idea of things in their place, another question comes to me: with the descent of the Supermind, what exactly are the very first things that the supramental force will want to or is trying to dislodge?
The first things it will dislodge?
--
No, the only solution is occult power. But that. Before anything at all can be done, it already demands a certain number of individuals who have reached a great perfection of realization. Granting this, a place is conceivable (set apart from the outside worldno actual contacts) where each thing is exactly in its place, setting an example. Each thing exactly in its place, each person exactly in his place, each movement in its place, and all in its place in an ascending, progressive movement without relapse (that is, the very opposite of what goes on in ordinary life). Naturally, this also means a sort of perfection, it means a sort of unity; it means that the different aspects of the Supreme can be manifested; and, necessarily, an exceptional beauty, a total harmony; and a power sufficient to keep the forces of Nature obedient: even if this place were encircled by destructive forces, for example, these forces would be powerless to act the protection would be sufficient.
It would all require the utmost perfection in the individuals organizing such a thing.
--
This eye [hemorrhage], for instance, resulted from such a disorder, a very dark force that someone allowed to enter, not deliberately, not knowingly, but through weakness and ignorance, always mingled, of course, with desire and ego and all the rest. (Without desire and ego, such things would find no access but desire and ego are very wi despread.) At any rate, that was plainly the cause and I sensed it immediately. Sometimes when it comes, it creeps up like this (Mother brings her hand to her throat), a black shadow strangling you. Yet inwardly nothing is affected at all, to such an extent that if I didnt pay attention to the purely external reaction, I wouldnt know anything had happened (its the great Play); but externally the indication is immediate: half an hour later I had this eye hemorrhage. I was struggling against a wholly un desirable intrusion, and I knew italthough from an outer point of view, the cause was insignificant. Its not always the events we consider serious or important that produce the most harmful effectsfar from it. Sometimes its an altogether INSIGNIFICANT intrusion of falsehood, for some quite insignificant reasonwhat is commonly labeled a stupidity. This stems from the fact that the adverse forces are always lying in wait, ready to rush in at the least sign of weakness.
The incomprehension generated by doubt (the kind of doubt that always results from an egoistic movement) is very dangerous. Very dangerous. Its not even necessary to be in a psychic consciousness even for an enlightened vital consciousness, it produces no effect; but HERE, in this material swarm.
--
Pralaya: The destruction of a universe at the end of a cycle. According to Hindu cosmology, the formation of each universe begins with an 'age of truth' (satya-yuga) which slowly degenerates, like the stars, till there is no truth left at all; it becomes a 'dark age'(kali-yuga) like ours, and ends with a cataclysm. Then a new universe is reborn out of this cataclysm and the cycle begins again. There is a correspondence here with a modern cosmological theory according to which a phase of contraction, of galaxies collapsing upon themselves, follows a phase of expansion and prece des a new explosion ('Big Bang') of the 'primal egg'and so on, in a recurring and apparently endless and aimless series of cosmic births which, like our own human births, develop, attain some sort of 'summit,' then collapse, always to begin again. According to Theon, our present universe is the seventh but where is the 'beginning'?
Note that modern astronomy is divided between the theory of endless phases of contraction-explosion-expansion, and the theory of a universe in infinite expansion starting with a 'Big Bang,' which seems quite as catastrophic, since the universe is then plunging at vertiginous speed into an increasingly cold, empty, and fatal infinity, like a bullet released from all restraints of gravity, until... until what? According to astronomers, an exact measurement of the quantity of matter in a cubic meter of the present universe (one atom for every 400 liters of space) should enable us to decide between these two theories and learn which way it will be best for us to die. If there is more than one atom per 400 liters of space, this quantity of matter will create sufficient gravitation to halt the present expansion of galaxies and induce a contraction, ending with an explosion within an infinitesimal space. If there is less than one atom per 400 liters of space, the quantity of matter and thus the gravitational effect will be insufficient to retain the galaxies within their invisible net, and everything will spin off endlesslyunless we discover, with Mother, a third position, that of a 'progressive equilibrium,' in which the quantity of matter in the universe proves in fact to be a quantity of consciousness, whose contraction or expansion will be regulated by the laws of consciousness.
0 1961-07-28, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Here is something important. Sri Aurobindo says that everything is involved down here the mind, the vital, the supermind and that what is involved evolves. But if everything is involved, including the supermind, what is the need for a descent? Cant things evolve by themselves?
Ah! He has explained this somewhere.
--
There are two lines in the ancient traditions, two ways of explaining this. One says it is by the descent of what already exists in all its perfection that what is involved can be awakened to consciousness and evolution. Its like the old story: when what Sri Aurobindo calls the universal Mother or the Shakti (or Sachchidananda1) realized what had happened in Matter (that is, in what had created Matter) and that this involution had led to a state of Inconscience, total unconsciousness, the ancient lore says that at once the divine Love descended straight from the Lord into Matter and began to awaken what was involved there.
Other traditions speak of the Consciousness, the divine Consciousness, instead of Love. One even finds accounts full of imagery depicting a Being of prismatic light lying in deep sleep in the cave of the Inconscient; and this descent awakens him to an activity which is still (how to put it?) inner, an immobile activity, an activity by radiation. Countless rays issue from his body and spread throughout the Inconscient, and little by little they awaken in each thing, in each atom, as it were, the aspiration to Consciousness and the beginning of evolution.
I have had this experience.
--
But the trouble is that people will say: whats the need for a descent if all is involved and then evolves? Why a descent? Why should there be an intervention from a higher plane?
I beg your pardon, but what was built up through this involution had to be unbuilt. The CAUSE of this involution had to be undone.
--
Once this had occurred, the divine Consciousness turned towards the Supreme and said (Mother laughs): Well, heres what has happened. Whats to be done? Then from the Divine came an emanation of Love (in the first emanation it wasnt Love, it was Ananda, Bliss, the Delight of being which became Suffering), and from the Supreme came Love; and Love descended into this domain of Inconscience, the result of the creation of the first emanation, Consciousness Consciousness and Light had become Inconscience and Darkness. Love descended straight from the Supreme into this Inconscience; the Supreme, that is, created a new emanation, which didnt pass through the intermediate worlds (because, according to the story, the universal Mother first created all the gods who, when they descended, remained in contact with the Supreme and created all the intermediate worlds to counterbalance this fallits the old story of the Fall, this fall into the Inconscient. But that wasnt enough). Simultaneously with the creation of the gods, then, came this direct descent of Love into Matter, without passing through all the intermediate worlds. Thats the story of the first descent. But youre speaking of the descent heralded by Sri Aurobindo, the Supramental descent, arent you?
Not only that. For example, Sri Aurobindo says that when Life appeared there was a pressure from below, from evolution, to make Life emerge from Matter, and simultaneously a descent of Life from its own plane. Then, when Mind emerged out of Life, the same thing from above happened again. Why this intervention from above each time? Why dont things emerge normally, one after another, without needing a descent?
You may as well ask why everything has gone wrong!
--
Take the experience of Mind, for example: Mind, in the evolution of Nature, gradually emerging from its involution; well and this is a very concrete experience these initial mentalized forms, if we can call them that, were necessarily incomplete and imperfect, because Natures evolution is slow and hesitant and complicated. Thus these forms inevitably had an aspiration towards a sort of perfection and a truly perfect mental state, and this aspiration brought the descent of already fully conscious beings from the mental world who united with terrestrial formsthis is a very, very concrete experience. What emerges from the Inconscient in this way is an almost impersonal possibility (yes, an impersonal possibility, and perhaps not altogether universal, since its connected with the history of the earth); but anyway its a general possibility, not personal. And the Response from above is what makes it concrete, so to speak, bringing in a sort of perfection of the state and an individual mastery of the new creation. These beings in corresponding worlds (like the gods of the overmind,4 or the beings of higher regions) came upon earth as soon as the corresponding element began to evolve out of its involution. This accelerates the action, first of all, but also makes it more perfectmore perfect, more powerful, more conscious. It gives a sort of sanction to the realization. Sri Aurobindo writes of this in SavitriSavitri lives always on earth, with the soul of the earth, to make the whole earth progress as quickly as possible. Well, when the time comes and things on earth are ready, then the divine Mother incarnates with her full powerwhen things are ready. Then will come the perfection of the realization. A splendor of creation exceeding all logic! It brings in a fullness and a power completely beyond the petty shallow logic of human mentality.
People cant understand! To put oneself at the level of the general public may be all very well5 (personally I have never found it so, although its probably inevitable), but to hope that they will ever understand the splendor of the Thing. They have to live it first!
--
Yes. The earth is a representative and symbolic world, a kind of crystallization and concentration of the evolutionary labor giving it a more concrete reality. It has to be taken like this: the history of the earth is a symbolic history. And it is on earth that this descent takes place (its not the history of the universal but of the terrestrial creation); the descent occurs in the individual TERRESTRIAL being, in the individual terrestrial atmosphere.
Lets take Savitri, which is very explicit on this: the universal Mother is universally present and at work in the universe, but the earth is where concrete form is given to all the work to be done to bring evolution to its perfection, its goal. Well, at first theres a sort of emanation representative of the universal Mother, which is always on earth to help it prepare itself; then, when the preparation is complete, the universal Mother herself will descend upon earth to finish her work. And this She does with SatyavanSatyavan is the soul of the earth. She lives in close union with the soul of the earth and together they do the work; She has chosen the soul of the earth for her work, saying, HERE is where I will do my work. Elsewhere (Mother indicates regions of higher Consciousness), its enough just to BE and things Simply ARE. Here on earth you have to work.
There are clearly universal repercussions and effects, of course, but the thing is WORKED OUT here, the place of work is HERE. So instead of living beatifically in Her universal state and beyond, in the extra-universal eternity outside of time, She says, No, I am going to do my work HERE, I choose to work HERE. The Supreme then tells her, What you have expressed is My Will.. I want to work HERE, and when all is ready, when the earth is ready, when humanity is ready (even if no one is aware of it), when the Great Moment comes, well I will descend to finish my work.
Thats the story.
--
Reclining on the waves silken folds, I descend; rocked from one undulating wave to another in a gentle rhythm, I am borne straight towards the west. The deeper I go, the more luminous the water becomes, great silvery currents coursing through it.
Cradled from wave to wave, for a long while I descend deeper, ever deeper.
All at once, as I gaze above me, I glimpse something roseate; I draw nearer and discern what appears to be a shrub, as large as a tree, held fast to a blue reef. The denizens of the waters glide to and fro, myriad and diverse. Now I find myself standing upon fine, shining sand. I gaze about me in wonder. There are mountains and valleys, fantastic forests, strange flowers that could as well be animals, and fish that might be flowersno separation, no gap is there between stationary beings and mobile. Colors everywhere, brilliant and shimmering, or subdued, but always harmonious and refined. I walk upon the golden sands and contemplate all this beauty bathed in a soft, pale blue radiance, tiny, luminous spheres of red, green and gold circulating through it.
0 1961-08-02, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
When one descends into the subconscient, a time comes when its no longer personal the whole world is there! Then what can we do? Im not speaking of you, but what can people like us do to change it? Its a Sisyphean labor! Vibrations from the whole world keep coming in at each instant. How can we change it?
No, you have to approach the problem from the other direction.
Evolution begins with the Inconscient, complete Inconscience; and from this Inconscient a Subconscient gradually emerges that is, a half or quarter-consciousness. There are two different things here. Consider life on earth (because the process is slightly different in the universe); earth-life begins with total Inconscience and little by little what was involved within it works out and changes this Inconscience into semi-consciousness or subconsciousness. At the same time, there is an individual working that awakens the INDIVIDUAL inconscient to an individual semiconsciousness, and here, of course, the individual has controlalthough its not actually individualized because individualization begins with consciousness. The subconscient of plants or animals, for example, isnt individualized; what we call an animals behavior doesnt arise from individualization but from the genius of the species. Consequently, the individual subconscient is something already evolved out of the general Subconscient. But when one descends to accomplish a work of transformationto bring Light into the different layers of life, for instanceone descends into a cosmic, terrestrial Subconscient, not an individual Subconscient. And the work of transformation is done within the wholenot through individualization, but through the opposite movement, through a sort of universalization.
No, what I mean is that as we progress, we automatically become universalized.
--
Even Buddha said that if you have a vibration of desire, this vibration goes all around the terrestrial atmosphere. The opposite is whats impossible! Its impossible to separate yourself. You can have the idea of being separate, but you cant be separate in reality. In fact, if you are trying to eliminate the Subconscient in yourself your movement must necessarily be general; it cant be personal, you would never get anywhere.
Yes, of course, but these vibrations are ceaselessly re-created.
--
Years ago, when Sri Aurobindo and I descended together from plane to plane (or from mode of life to mode of life) and reached the Subconscient, we saw that it was no longer individual: it was terrestrial. The rest the mind, the vital and of course the bodyis individualized; but when you descend below this level, thats no longer the case. There is indeed something between the conscious life of the body and this subconscious terrestrial lifeelements are thrown out1 as a result of the action of individual consciousness upon the subconscious substance; this creates a kind of semiconsciousness, and that stays. For example, when people are told, You have pushed your difficulty down into the subconscient and it will resurface, this does not refer to the general Subconscient, but to something individualized out of the Subconscient through the action of individual consciousness and remaining down there until it resurfaces. The process is, so to speak, interminable, even the personal part of it.
Every night, you know, I continue to see more and more astounding things emerging from the Subconscient to be transformed. Its a kind of mixturenot clearly individualizedof all the things that have been more or less closely associated in life. For example, some people are intermingled there. One relives things almost as in a dream (although these are not dreams), one relives it all in a certain setting, within a certain set of symbolic, or at any rate expressive, circumstances. Just two days ago I had to deal with someone (I am actively at work there and I had to do something with him), and upon seeing this person, I asked myself, is he this one or that one? As I became less involved in the action and looked with a more objective consciousness, the witness-consciousness, I saw that it was simply a mixture of both personseverything is mixed in the Subconscient. Already when I lived in Japan there were four people I could never distinguish during my nighttime activitiesall four of them (and god knows they werent even acquainted!) were always intermingled because their subconscious reactions were identical.
--
Otherwise there could be no permanent material life for this [individuality] is the very nature of materialization. Were it destined to disappear, then the phenomenon of physical dissolution would become permanent, and there would never be physical immortality; because, after exhausting a certain basically, a certain number of illusions or disorders or falsehoods, one would return to the Truth. But according to Sri Aurobindo, it isnt like that: this individualization, this individual personalization is the Truth, a real, au thentic divine phenomenon the only falsehood is the deformation of consciousness. Well, when we rediscover the true consciousness of Unity that Unity which is both in and above the manifest and the non-manifest (above in that it contains both the manifest and non-manifest equally), well, this Truth inclu des material personalization, otherwise that2 could not exist.
But each individual has a different personality.
--
A mode of being, yes, in a way, in its essencein its essence, because in the manifestation all this is destined to disappear. Yes, they are mo des of beinglike those first four mo des of being3 created at the first manifestation.
But in our case, would there be innumerable mo des of being, each representing one particular aspect?
--
It was this: Krishna consented to descend into Sri Aurobindos bodyto be FIXED there; there is a great difference, you understand, between incarnating, being fixed in a body, and simply acting as an influence that comes and goes and moves about. The gods are always moving about, and its plain that we ourselves, in our inner beings, come and go and act in a hundred or a thousand places at once. There is a difference between just coming occasionally and accepting to be permanently tied to a bodybetween a permanent influence and a permanent presence.
These things have to be experienced.
--
After a while, I too began having meditations with people. I had begun a sort of overmental creation, to make each god descend into a beingthere was an extraordinary upward curve! Well, I was in contact with these beings and I told Krishna (because I was always seeing him around Sri Aurobindo), This is all very fine, but what I want now is a creation on earthyou must incarnate. He said Yes. Then I saw him I saw him with my own eyes (inner eyes, of course), join himself to Sri Aurobindo.
Then I went into Sri Aurobindos room and told him, Heres what I have seen. Yes, I know! he replied (Mother laughs) Thats fine; I have decided to retire to my room, and you will take charge of the people. You take charge. (There were about thirty people at the time.) Then he called everyone together for one last meeting. He sat down, had me sit next to him, and said, I called you here to tell you that, as of today, I am withdrawing for purposes of sadhana, and Mother will now take charge of everyone; you should address yourselves to her; she will represent me and she will do all the work. (He hadnt mentioned this to me!Mother bursts into laughter)
These people had always been very intimate with Sri Aurobindo, so they asked: Why, why, Why? He replied, It will be explained to you. I had no intention of explaining anything, and I left the room with him, but Datta began speaking. (She was an Englishwoman who had left Europe with me; she stayed here until her deatha person who received inspirations.) She said she felt Sri Aurobindo speaking through her and she explained everything: that Krishna had incarnated and that Sri Aurobindo was now going to do an intensive sadhana for the descent of the Supermind; that it meant Krishnas adherence to the Supramental descent upon earth and that, as Sri Aurobindo would now be too occupied to deal with people, he had put me in charge and I would be doing all the work.
This was in 1926.
It was only (how can I put it?) a participation from Krishna. It made no difference for Sri Aurobindo personally: it was a formation from the past that accepted to participate in the present creation, nothing more. It was a descent of the Supreme, from some time back, now consenting to participate in the new manifestation.
Shiva, on the other hand, refused. No, he said, I will come only when you have finished your work. I will not come into the world as it is now, but I am ready to help. He was standing in my room that day, so tall (laughing) that his head touched the ceiling! He was bathed in his own special light, a play of red and gold magnificent! Just as he is when he manifests his supreme consciousnessa formidable being! So I stood up and (I too must have become quite tall, because my head was resting on his shoulder, just slightly below his head) then he told me, No, Im not tying myself to a body, but I will give you ANYTHING you want. The only thing I said (it was all done wordlessly, of course) was: I want to be rid of the physical ego.
0 1961-08-05, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It was during this period that I used to go out of my body every night and do the work Ive spoken of in Prayers and Meditations (I only mentioned it in passing).8 Every night at the same hour, when the whole house was very quiet, I would go out of my body and have all kinds of experiences. And then my body gradually became a sleepwalker (that is, the consciousness of the form became more and more conscious, while the link remained very solidly established). I got into the habit of getting up but not like an ordinary sleepwalker: I would get up, open my desk, take out a piece of paper and write poems. Yes, poems I, who had nothing of the poet in me! I would jot things down, then very consciously put everything back into the drawer, lock everything up again very carefully and go back to bed. One night, for some reason or other, I forgot and left it open. My mother came in (in France the windows are covered with heavy curtains and in the morning my mother would come in and violently throw open the curtains, waking me up, brrm!, without any warning; but I was used to it and would already be prepared to wake upotherwise it would have been most unpleasant!). Anyway, my mother came in, calling me with unquestionable authority, and then she found the open desk and the piece of paper: Whats that?! She grabbed it. What have you been up to? I dont know what I replied, but she went to the doctor: My daughter has become a sleepwalker! You have to give her a drug.
It wasnt easy.
--
Did I tell you what happened to my brother? No? My brother was a terribly serious boy, and frightfully studiousoh, it was awful! But he also had a very strong character, a strong will, and there was something interesting about him. When he was studying to enter the Polytechnique, I studied with himit interested me. We were very intimate (there were only eighteen months between us). He was quite violent, but with an extraordinary strength of character. He almost killed me three times,9 but when my mother told him, Next time, you will kill her, he resolved that it wouldnt happen again and it never did. But what I wanted to tell you is that one day when he was eighteen, just before the Polytechnique exams, as he was crossing the Seine (I think it was the Pont des Arts), suddenly in the middle of the bridge he felt something descend into him with such force that he became immobilized, petrified; then, although he didnt exactly hear a voice, a very clear message came to him: If you want, you can become a godit was translated like that in his consciousness. He told me that it took hold of him entirely, immobilized hima formidable and extremely luminous power: If you want, you can become a god. Then, in the thick of the experience itself, he replied, No, I want to serve humanity. And it was gone. Of course, he took great care to say nothing to my mother, but we were intimate enough for him to tell me about it. I told him, Well (laughing), what an idiot you are!
Thats the story.
--
Three years later I had that experience Ive told you about itof the Light piercing through me; I physically saw it enter into me. It was obviously the descent of a Beingnot a past incarnation, but a Being from another plane. It was a golden light the incarnation of a divine consciousness. Which proves that she succeeded for both her children.
But she
--
On another occasion, Mother told Sujata more about these three times her brother almost killed her: 'One day we were playing croquet, and either because he got beaten or for some other reason, he flew into a rage and struck me hard with his Mallet; fortunately I escaped with only a slight scratch. Another time, we were sitting in a room and he threw a big chair towards me I ducked just in time and the chair passed over my head. A third time, as we were descending from a carriage, he pushed me down under it; luckily the horse didn't move.'
***
0 1961-08-11, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Its the Bird of Grace descending from heaven. The dot at the end is very important. The dot is the seeing consciousness: the eye. Theres a tail, a wing, another wing, and the eye-the seeing consciousness.
Mind you, I didnt think of it in advance! The awareness came later I looked and said, Ah!
--
And it is strangely indifferent to any scale of values or circumstances. Sometimes when I am meeting and speaking with someone, when I am seeing someone, this great universal Light of a perfect whiteness comes streaming in. Well, I must admit, this also occurs for the merest trifles, when Im tasting some cheese somebody has sent me, for example, or arranging objects in a cupboard, or deciding what things Im going to use or have to organize. It doesnt come in the same massive way as when it comes directly. When it comes directly its a mass, passing through and going out like that (Mother shows the Light descending directly from above like a mass and passing through her head in order to spread out everywhere). In these small things its pulverized, as though it came through an atomizer, but its that same sparkling white light, utterly white. Then, whatever Im doing, theres a sensation in the body thats like lying on a sea of something very soft, very intimate, very deep and eternal, immutable: the Lord. And all the bodys cells are joyously saying, You, You, You, You.
Thats my present condition.
0 1961-08-25, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Nowadays I always spend a part of the night in the realm of expression, a realm where generally I never used to go at all. Its a very lovely place, very human in the sense that its not a scene from Nature: there are huge rooms and great, highly intellectual arrangements; yet its very lovely, with such a clear and limpid atmosphereall in clear sha des (Mother gives up trying to describe it). Oh, its so luminous and lovely, very well organized, as far as the eye can see; it seems as big as the earth. The rooms are roofless, just imagine! Huge roofless rooms flooded with light, and transparent partitions. And the people inside seem very, very awarenot a lot of people, but extremely studious and attentive, and they are creating arrangements of things. They must be people writing books. They are making compositionsoh, if you knew how lovely it was! Its as if they were taking colors and more or less geometrical forms and placing them in relation to one another. There are huge pigeonholes where everything is in order, and yet without doors, not closed upwide open and still completely protected. An interesting place. I dont usually go there Ive gone maybe two or three times in my life, without paying much attention but lately, because of this book you are writing, Sri Aurobindo is taking me there all the time.
And there are people with no countryhe takes me to a place where the people have no country, no race, no special costume they seem very universal. And they move around harmoniously, silently, as though they were gliding and with precision, everything is extremely precise. Some of them have even shown me things: there were some lovely colored papers! But these colors are unearthly, somehow transparent. They were arranging it all, demonstrating and explaining to me how it has to be arranged to give the maximum effect.
I have seen you there several times. You were wearing something similar to what you are wearing now [dhoti]: not European they wear the costume of no particular country. Its usually white, but not made of cloth. Its all on a VERY luminous, very orderly, very clear mental plane-no objects lying around, only things like sheets of paper, which seem to be ideas or compositions of ideas, but no clutter. Its vast, vast, so vast you can see no end to it! And up above its wide open, and a light is constantly descending. What you walk on is a little more solid, but not much more. Its an interesting place.
I go there almost every night for half or three-quarters of an hour, and Sri Aurobindo shows it all to me. Some people are waiting for himin certain corners everything is ready and waiting and when he comes they show him what they have done. Then he explains: a word, a gesture, not much, and then, ah! It takes a form. Its an interesting place. I am putting you in touch with it all the time, all the time, every dayit doesnt matter if you dont remember, its not important.
0 1961-09-10, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yes, in comparison with Sri Aurobindos contact (the vibration that comes from him, if you like), it always seems meager, always flat. Even the most you know, spiritual experiences that have been described, experiences that others have hadwell, even experiences that are stronger, clearer, more powerful, more complete than any of those seem when you make contact with Sri Aurobindo, oh, how thin they all seem, so thin!
Besi des, as a means of expression. writing is hard labor, you know. Its not pleasant, its not like composing music or painting.
0 1961-09-23, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There were whole sections he redid completely, which were like descriptions of what I had told him of my own experiences. Nolini said this. When I recently reread Savitri, some phrases were very familiar and I said to Nolini, How odd, these are almost my very words! And he replied, But this has been changed, it was written differently; it has BECOME like this. As the thing became more and more concrete for him, he changed it. The breath of revelatory prophecy is extraordinary! It has an extraordinary POWER!
What struck me is that he never wanted to write anything else. To write those articles for the Bulletin1 was really a heavy sacrifice for him. He had said he would complete certain parts of The Synthesis of Yoga,2 but when he was asked to do so, he replied, No, I dont want to go down to that mental level!
0 1961-09-30, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
1. This letter to Mother is, with a few others, the sole survivor of thirteen years of correspondence. All the rest, all Satprem's correspondence with Mother since 1960, was confiscated by the Ashram after the Mother's departure, for its own reasons. His letters of 1960, already published in Volume I, escaped the destruction because Mother herself had kept them. It makes a big hole in this Agenda, not only for himbecause he had poured out his heart, his questions and doubts and difficulties into these letters but also from an historical point of view, for many of these conversations with Mother were invisibly oriented by his own condition. In fact, he was intimately linked with the flow of this Agenda, which thus stands mutilated. Need we add that we had to prepare the first two volumes as fugitives, and it required Mother's miraculous help to avert even more serious mutilations than the auto-da-f of Satprem's correspondence.
***
0 1961-10-02, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I am their despair because I always tell them, It doesnt make any difference! Do it like this or do it like that, it all comes down to the same thing. They are indignant: What do you mean it all comes to the same thing! (Mother laughs wholeheartedly)
So there we are.
0 1961-10-15, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And within all this, I no longer existed. I seemed to vanish into a kind of trance, yet I was consciousnot I: the consciousness was conscious of what Sri Aurobindo was conscious of. And he was following the reading. But I couldnt remember anything; at the time, it was impossible to observe. I can only describe it all to you now because the experience remained for at least an hour and a half afterwards; when I left here, I began to objectify it, to see what it wasaside from that, it was merely a STATE I found myself in. But in this state there was an awareness of what he was hearing, and at two or three places in your reading he seemed to be saying (I cant be exact, I can only give the impression), Not necessary. In fact, thats what made me call this passage too philosophical (although when you first asked my opinion I was in a peculiar condition, nothing was active in me). With him, it was very clear, it was almost as if there were a certain number of words about which he said, That, not necessary. That, not necessary. Not many, not often, but once in a while. Especially at the end (he was still there inside my head while you were talking), when you were saying that its necessary to explain to people; there he very clearly said, No, not necessary.
But I was incapable of remembering or of registering anything the only head present there was his.
--
After speaking of the descent of the Supermind, he said that an INTERMEDIARY must be prepared between our present mental state (even the most elevated higher mind) and the supramental region, because if one entered directly into Gnosis, well, it would produce such an abrupt change that our physical constitutions would be unable to support itan intermediary is needed. The experiences Ive had make me absolutely convinced of it; twice the supramental world took veritable possession of me and both times it was as if the bodytruly the physical bodywas going to completely disintegrate, due to what you could almost call the opposition of the two conditions.
And yesterday again I clearly saw (Mother touches this mass in her head). My eyes are full of it my eyes are full, you know, and I see that as it works to settle itself in here, it produces this little vibrationa twinkling of vibrationswhich seems to be indispensable for it to enter into this Matter.
0 1961-10-30, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Nor was it insignificant that fire, Agni, was the core of the Vedic mysteries: Agni, the inner flame, the soul within us (for who can deny that the soul is fire?), the innate aspiration drawing man towards the heights; Agni, the ardent will within us that sees, always and forever, and remembers; Agni, the priest of the sacrifice, the divine worker, the envoy between earth and heaven (Rig-veda III, 3.2) he is there in the middle of his house (I.70.2). The Fathers who have divine vision set him within as a child that is to be born (IX.83.3). He is the boy suppressed in the secret cavern (V.2.1). He is as if life and the breath of our existence, he is as if our eternal child (I.66.1). O Son of the body (III.4.2), O Fire, thou art the son of heaven by the body of the earth (III.25.1). Immortal in mortals (IV.2. 1), old and outworn he grows young again and again (II.4.5). When he is born he becomes one who voices the godhead: when as life who grows in the mother he has been fashioned in the mother he becomes a gallop of wind in his movement (III.29.11). O Fire, when thou art well borne by us thou becomest the supreme growth and expansion of our being, all glory and beauty are in thy desirable hue and thy perfect vision. O Vastness, thou art the plenitude that carries us to the end of our way; thou art a multitude of riches spread out on every side (II.1.12). O Fire brilliant ocean of light in which is divine vision (III.22.2), the Flame with his hundred treasures O knower of all things born(I.59).
But the divine fire is not our exclusive privilegeAgni exists not only in man: He is the child of the waters, the child of the forests, the child of things stable and the child of things that move. Even in the stone he is there (I.70.2).
--
The secret lies in matter. Because Agni is imprisoned in matter and we ourselves are imprisoned there. It is said that Agni is without head or feet, that it conceals its two extremities: above, it disappears into the great heaven of the supraconscient (which the Rishis also called the great ocean), and below, it sinks into the formless ocean of the inconscient (which they also called the rock). We are truncated. But the Rishis were men of a solid realism, a true realism resting upon the Spirit; and since the summits of mind opened out upon a lacuna of lightecstatic, to be sure, but with no hold over the worldthey set upon the downward way.6 Thus begins the quest for the lost sun, the long pilgrimage of descent into the inconscient and the merciless fight against the dark forces, the thieves of the sun, the panis and vritras, pythons and giants, hidden in the dark lair with the whole cohort of usurpers: the dualizers, the confiners, the tearers, the COVERERS. But the divine worker, Agni, is helped by the gods, and in his quest he is led by the intuitive ray, Sarama, the heavenly hound with the subtle sense of smell who sets Agni on the track of the stolen herds (strange, shining herds). Now and again there comes the sudden glimmer of a fugitive dawn then all grows dim. One must advance step by step, digging, digging, fighting every inch of the way against the wolves whose savage fury increases the nearer one draws to their denAgni is a warrior. Agni grows through his difficulties, his flame burns more brilliantly with each blow from the Adversary; for, as the Rishis said, Night and Day both suckled the divine Child; they even said that Night and Day are the two sisters, Immortal, with a common lover [the sun] common they, though different their forms (I.113.2,3). These alternations of night and brightness accelerate until Day breaks at last and the herds of Dawn7 surge upward awakening someone who was dead (I.113.8). The infinite rock of the inconscient is shattered, the seeker uncovers the Sun dwelling in the darkness (III.39.5), the divine consciousness in the heart of Matter. In the very depths of Matter, that is to say, in the body, on earth, the Rishis found themselves cast up into Light that same Light which others sought on the heights, without their bodies and without the earth, in ecstasy. And this is what the Rishis would call the Great Passage. Without abandoning the earth they found the vast dwelling place, that dwelling place of the gods, Swar, the original Sun-world that Sri Aurobindo calls the Supramental World: Human beings [the Rishis emphasize that they are indeed men] slaying the Coverer have crossed beyond both earth and heaven [matter and mind] and made the wide world their dwelling place (I.36.8). They have entered the True, the Right, the Vast, Satyam, Ritam, Brihat, the unbroken light, the fearless light, where there is no longer suffering nor falsehood nor death: it is immortality, amritam.
***
0 1961-11-05, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Anyway, it was because of Theon that I first found the Mantra of Life, the mantra that gives life, and he wanted me to give it to him, he wanted to possess itit was something formidable! It was the mantra that gives life (it can make anyone at all come back into life, but thats only a small part of its power). And it was shut away in a particular place,2 sealed up, with my name in Sanskrit on it. I didnt know Sanskrit at that time, but he did, and when he led me to that place, I told him what I saw: Theres a sort of design, it must be Sanskrit. (I could recognize the characters as Sanskrit). He told me to reproduce what I was seeing, and I did so. It was my name, Mirra, written in Sanskrit the mantra was for me and I alone could open it. Open it and tell me whats there, he said. (All this was going on while I was in a cataleptic trance.) Then immediately something in me KNEW, and I answered, No, and did not read it.
I found it again when I was with Sri Aurobindo and I gave it to Sri Aurobindo.
--
The first issue began with The Wherefore of the Worlds (the English following the French), and in it Richard attributed the origin of the world to desire. They were in perpetual disagreement on this subject, Richard saying, It is desire, and Sri Aurobindo, The initial force of the Manifestation is Joy. Then Richard would say, God desIRED to know Himself, and Sri Aurobindo, No, God had the Joy of knowing Himself. And it went on and on like that!
When Richard went to Japan, he sent his manuscripts to Sri Aurobindo, including The Wherefore of the Worlds and The Eternal Wisdom, and Sri Aurobindo continued to translate them into English.
--
He wrote The Lord of Nations. And I saw him, oh! I saw this Lord of Nations. During the last war [World War II] I had some dealings with him again, but not through Richarddirectly. The being who used to appear to Hitler was the Lord of Nations. An incredible story! And I knew when they were going to meet (because after all, hes my son!9 That was the funniest part of it); and on one occasion I substituted myself for him, became Hitlers god and advised him to attack Russia. Two days later he attacked Russia. But upon leaving the meeting I encountered the other one [the real Asura] just as he was arriving! He was furious and asked me why I had done that. Its none of your business, I said, its what had to be done. You will see, he replied, I KNOW, I know you will destroy me, but before being destroyed I will wreak just as much havoc as I can, you can be sure of that.
When I returned from my nocturnal promena des I would tell Sri Aurobindo about them.
--
Occasionally some people were slightly conscious. For instance, during the last war I spent all my nights hovering above Paris (not integrally, but a part of myself) so that nothing would happen to the city. Later it came out that several people had seen what seemed to be a great white Force with an indistinct form hovering above Paris so that it wouldnt be destroyed.
Throughout the war Sri Aurobindo and I were in such a CONSTANT tension that it completely interrupted the yoga. And that is why the war started in the first placeto stop the Work. At that time there was an extraordinary descent of the Supermind; it was coming like that (massive gesture), a descent! Exactly in 39. Then the war broke out and stopped everything cold. For had we personally continued [the work of transformation] we were not sure of having enough time to finish it before the other one crushed the earth to a pulp, setting the whole Affair back centuries. The FIRST thing to be done was stop the action of the Lord of Nations.
The Lord of Falsehood.
--
According to what Sri Aurobindo saw and what I saw as well, the Rishis had the contact, the experiencehow to put it? A kind of lived knowledge of the thing, coming like a promise, saying, THAT is what will be. But its not permanent. Theres a big difference between their experience and the desCENTwhat Sri Aurobindo calls the descent of the Supermind: something that comes and establishes itself.
Even when I had that experience [the first supramental manifestation of February 29, 1956], when the Lord said, The time has come, well, it was not a complete descent; it was the descent of the Consciousness, the Light, and a part, an aspect of the Power. It was immediately absorbed and swallowed up by the world of Inconscience, and from that moment on it began to work in the atmosphere. But it was not THE thing that comes and gets permanently established; when that happens, we wont need to speak of itit will be obvious!
Although the experience of 56 was one more forward step, its not. Its not final.
0 1961-11-07, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There is also what Theon and Madame Theon used to say. They never spoke of Supermind, but they said the same thing as the Vedas, that the world of Truth must incarnate on earth and create a new world. They even picked up the old phrase from the Gospels, new heavens and a new earth,1 which is the same thing the Vedas speak of. Madame Theon had this experience and she gave me the indication (she didnt actually teach me) of how it was to be done. She would go out of her body and become conscious in the vital world (there were many intermediary states, too, if one cared to explore them). After the vital came the mental: you consciously went out of the vital body, you left it behind (you could see it) and you entered the mental world. Then you left the mental body and entered into. They used different words, another classification (I dont remember it), but even so, the experience was identical. And like that, she successively left twelve different bodies, one after another. She was extremely developed, you seeindividualized, organized. She could leave one body and enter the consciousness of the next plane, fully experience the surroundings and all that was there, describe it and so on, twelve times.
I learned to do the same thing, and with great dexterity; I could halt on any plane, do what I had to do there, move around freely, see, observe, and then speak about what I had seen. And my last stage, which Theon called pathtisme,2 a very barbaric but very expressive word, bordered on the Formlesshe sometimes used the Jewish terminology, calling the Supreme The Formless. (From this last stage one passed to the Formless there was no further body to leave behind, one was beyond all possible forms, even all thoughtforms.) In this domain [the last stage before the Formless] one experienced total unityunity in something that was the essence of Love; Love was a manifestation more dense, he would always say (there were all sorts of different densities); and Love was a denser expression of That, the sense of perfect Unityperfect unity, identitywith no longer any forms corresponding to those of the lower worlds. It was a Light! An almost immaculate white light, yet with something of a golden-rose in it (words are crude). This Light and this Experience were truly wonderful, inexpressible in words.
--
But naturally, you understand, once the border has been crossed, there is no more ascent and descent; you have the feeling of rising up only at the very start, while leaving the terrestrial consciousness and emerging into the higher mind. But once you have gone beyond that, theres no notion of rising; theres a sense, instead, of a sort of inner transformation.
And from there I would re descend, re-entering my bodies one after another there is a real feeling of re-entry; it actually produces friction.
--
When I returned from Japan and we began to work together, Sri Aurobindo had already brought the supramental light into the mental world and was trying to transform the Mind. Its strange, he said to me, its an endless work! Nothing seems to get doneeverything is done and then constantly has to be done all over again. Then I gave him my personal impression, which went back to the old days with Theon: It will be like that until we touch bottom. So instead of continuing to work in the Mind, both of us (I was the one who went through the experience how to put it? practically, objectively; he experienced it only in his consciousness, not in the body but my body has always participated), both of us descended almost immediately (it was done in a day or two) from the Mind into the Vital, and so on quite rapidly, leaving the Mind as it was, fully in the light but not permanently transformed.
Then a strange thing happened. When we were in the Vital, my body suddenly became young again, as it had been when I was eighteen years old! There was a young man named Pearson, a disciple of Tagore, who had lived with me in Japan for four years; he returned to India, and when he came to see me in Pondicherry, he was stupefied.4 What has happened to you! he exclaimed. He hardly recognized me. During that same period (it didnt last very long, only a few months), I received some old photographs from France and Sri Aurobindo saw one of me at the age of eighteen. There! he said, Thats how you are now! I wore my hair differently, but otherwise I was eighteen all over again.
This lasted for a few months. Then we descended into the Physical and all the trouble began.5 But we didnt stay in the Physical, we descended into the Subconscient and from the Subconscient to the Inconscient. That was how we worked. And it was only when I descended into the Inconscient that I found the Divine Presence there, in the midst of Darkness.
It wasnt the first time; when I was working with Theon at Tlemcen (the second time I was there), I descended into the total, unindividualized that is, general Inconscient (it was the time he wanted me to find the Mantra of Life). And there I suddenly found myself in front of something like a vault or a grotto (of course, it was only something like that), and when it opened, I saw a Being of iri descent light reclining with his head on his hand, fast asleep. All the light around him was iri descent. When I told Theon what I was seeing, he said it was the immanent God in the depths of the Inconscient, who through his radiations was slowly waking the Inconscient to Consciousness.
But then a rather remarkable phenomenon occurred: when I looked at him, he woke up and opened his eyes, expressing the beginning of conscious, wakeful action.
I have experienced the descent into the Inconscient many times (you remember, once you were there the day it happenedit had to do with divine Love6); this experience of descending to the very bottom of the Inconscient and finding there the Divine Consciousness, the Divine Presence, under one form or another. It has happened quite frequently.
But I cant say that my process is to descend there first, as you write. Rather, this can be the process only when you are ALREADY conscious and identified; then YOU DRAW DOWN the Force (as Sri Aurobindo says, one makes it descend) in order to transform. Then, with this action of transformation, one pushes [the Force into the depths, like a drill]. The Rishis description of what happens next is absolutely true: a formidable battle at each step. And it would seem impossible to wage that battle without having first experienced the junction above.
That is MY experience I dont say there cant be others. I dont know.
One can realize the Divine in the Inconscient rather quickly (in fact, I think it can happen just as soon as one has found the Divine within). But does this give the power to TRANSFORM DIRECTLY? Does the direct junction between the supreme Consciousness and the Inconscient (because that is the experience) give the power to transform the Inconscient just like that, without any intermediary? I dont think so. I simply havent had that experience. Could all these things Ive been describing be happening now if I didnt have all those experiences behind me? I dont know, I cant say.
One thing is certainas soon as one goes beyond the terrestrial atmosphere, beyond the higher minds highest region, the sensation of high and low totally vanishes. There are no longer movements of ascent and descent, but (Mother turns her hand over) something like inner reversals.
I think the problem arises only when you try to see and understand with the mental consciousness, even with the higher mind.
--
Yes, the Rishis give an absolutely living description of what you experience and experience continuallyas soon as you descend into the Subconscient: all these battles with the beings who conceal the Light and so on. I experienced these things continually at Tlemcen and again with Sri Aurobindo when we were doing the Workits raging quite merrily even now!
As soon as you go down there, thats what happensyou have to fight against all that is unwilling to change, all that dominates the world and does not want to change.
0 1961-12-20, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Dear Sir I must begin by telling you that although this text is an excellent essay, it is not, in its present form, a book for the Spiritual Masters series. Let us enumerate the reasons for this. First of all, the general impression is of an ABSTRACT text. I can straight-away imagine your reaction to this and I dread misunderstandings! But putting myself in the readers place, since, once again, it does involve a collection intended for a wide public that we are beginning to know well, I can assure you that this public will not be able to follow page after page of reflections upon what one is bound to call a philosophical and spiritual system. Obviously this impression is caused primarily by the fact that you have begun with twenty-one pages where the reader is assumed to already know of Sri Aurobindos historical existence and the content of the Vedas and the Upanishads, plus I dont know how many other notions of rite, truth, divinity, wisdom, etc., etc. In my view, and the solution is going to appear cruel to you, for you certainly value these twenty-one pages [on the Secret of the Veda], they should purely and simply be deleted, for everything you say there, which is very rich in meaning, can only become clear when one has read what follows. There are many books in which readers can be asked to make the effort entailed in not understanding the beginning until they have read the end: but not books of popular culture. One could envisage an introduction of three or four pages to situate the spiritual climate and cultural world in which Sri Aurobindos thought has taken place, provided, however, that it is sufficiently descriptive, and not a pre-synthesis of everything to be expounded upon in what follows. In a general way you are going to smile, finding me quite Cartesian! But the readership we address is more or less permeated by a wi despread Cartesianism, and you can help them, if you like, to reverse their methodology, but on the condition that you make yourself understood right from the start. Generally, you dont make enough use of analysis and, even before analysis, of a description of the realities being analyzed. That is why the sections of pure philosophical analysis seem much too long to us, and, even apart from the abstract character of the chapter on evolution (which should certainly be shorter), one feels at a positive standstill! After having waited patiently, and sometimes impatiently, for some light to be thrown on Sri Aurobindos own experience, one reads with genuine amazement that one can draw on energies from above instead of drawing on them from the material nature around oneself, or from an animal sleep, or that one can modify his sleep and render it conscious master illnesses before they enter the body. All of that in less than a page; and you conclude that the spirit that was the slave of matter becomes again the master of evolution. But how Sri Aurobindo was led to think this, the experiences that permitted him to verify it, those that permit other men to consider the method transmittable, the difficulties, the obstacles, the realizationsdoesnt this constitute the essence of what must be said to make the reader understand? Once again, it is the question of a pedagogy intimately tied in with the spirit of the collection. Let me add as well that I always find it deplorable when a thought is not expressed purely for its own sake, but is accompanied by an aggressive irony towards concepts which the author does not share. This is pointless and harms the ideas being presented, all the more so because they are expressed in contrast with caricatured notions: the allusions you make to such concepts as you think yourself capable of evoking the soul, creation, virtue, sin, salvationwould only hold some interest if the reader could find those very concepts within himself. But, as they are caricatured by your pen, the reader is given the impression of an all too easily obtained contrast between certain ideas admired and others despised. Whereas it would be far more to the point if they corresponded to something real in the religious consciousness of the West. I have too much esteem for you and the spiritual world in which you live to avoid saying this through fear of upsetting you.
Amen.
--
Seen from the European angle, Sri Aurobindo represents an immense spiritual revolution, redeeming Matter and the creation, which to the Christian religion is fundamentally a fallits really unclear how what has come from God could become so bad, but anyway, better not be too logical! its a fall. The creation is a fall. And thats why they are far more easily convinced by Buddhism. I saw this particularly with Richard, whose education was entirely in European philosophy, with Christian and positivist influences; under these two influences, when he came into contact with Theons cosmic philosophy and later Sri Aurobindos revelation, he immediately explained, in his Wherefore of the Worlds, that the world is the fruit of desireGods desire. Yet Sri Aurobindo says (in simple terms), God created the world for the Joy of the creation, or rather, He brought forth the world from Himself for the Joy of living an objective life. This was Theons thesis too, that the world is the Divine in an objective form, but for him the origin of this objective form was the desire to be. All this is playing with words, you understand, but it turns out that in one case the world is reprehensible and in the other it is adorable! And that makes all the difference. To the whole European mind, the whole Christian spirit, the world is reprehensible. And when THAT is pointed out to them, they cant stand it.
So the very normal, natural reaction against this attitude is to negate the spiritual life: lets take the world as it is, brutally, materially, short and sweet (since it all comes to an end with this short life), lets do all we can to enjoy ourselves now, suffer as little as possible and not think of anything else. Having said that life is a condemned, reprehensible, anti-divine thing, this is the logical conclusion. Then what to do? We dont want to do away with life, so we do away with the Divine.
--
One more thing. despite their blockage from the deep spiritual viewpoint, they evidently represent a certain goodwill which can be utilized and should be recognizedit must be given a place. Thats why I was telling you to write a book on a much less elevated level, a book like the one I would write, if I ever wrote one!
But Mother.
--
As for Theon, he was European and wore a long purple robe that wasnt at all like the one in my vision. (Im not sure, but I think he was either Polish or Russian, but more probably Russian, of Jewish descent, and that he was forced to leave his country; he never said anything about this to anyone, its only an impression.) When I saw him I recognized him as a being of great power. And he bore a certain likeness to Sri Aurobindo: Theon was about the same size (not a tall man, of medium height) and thin, slim, with quite a similar profile. But when I met Theon I saw (or rather I felt) that he was not the man I saw in my vision because he didnt have that vibration. Yet it was he who first taught me things, and I went and worked at Tlemcen for two years in a row. But this other thing was always there in the background of the consciousness.
Then when Richard came here he met Sri Aurobindo (he was haunted by the idea of meeting the Master, the Guru, the Great Teacher). Sri Aurobindo was in hiding, seeing no one, but when Richard insisted, he met him, and Richard returned with a photograph. It was one of those early photos, with nothing in it. It was empty, the remnants of the political man, not at all resembling what I had seen I didnt recognize him. Its strange, I said to myself, thats not it (for I saw only his external appearance, there was no inner contact). But still, I was curious to meet him. At any rate, I cant say that when I saw this photograph I felt, Hes the one! Not at all. He impressed me as being a very interesting man, but no more.
--
But this was merely the beginning of my vision. Only after a series of experiencesa ten months sojourn in Pondicherry, five years of separation, then the return to Pondicherry and the meeting in the same house and in the same waydid the END of the vision occur. I was standing just beside him. My head wasnt exactly on his shoulder, but where his shoulder was (I dont know how to explain itphysically there was hardly any contact). We were standing side by side like that, gazing out through the open window, and then TOGETHER, at exactly the same moment, we felt, Now the Realization will be accomplished. That the seal was set and the Realization would be accomplished. I felt the Thing descending massively within me, with the same certainty I had felt in my vision. From that moment on there was nothing to sayno words, nothing. We knew it was THAT.
But between these two meetings he participated in a whole series of experiences, experiences of gradually growing awareness. This is partly noted in Prayers and Meditations (I have cut out all the personal segments). But there was one experience I didnt speak of there (that is, I didnt describe it, I put only the conclusion)the experience where I say Since the man refused I was offering participation in the universal work and the new creation and the man didnt want it, he refused, and so I now offer it to God.6
I dont know, Im putting it poorly, but this experience was concrete to the point of being physical. It happened in a Japanese country-house where we were living, near a lake. There was a whole series of circumstances, events, all kinds of thingsa long, long story, like a novel. But one day I was alone in meditation (I have never had very profound meditations, only concentrations of consciousness Mother makes an abrupt gesture showing a sudden ingathering of the entire being); and I was seeing. You know that I had taken on the conversion of the Lord of Falsehood: I tried to do it through an emanation incarnated in a physical being [Richard]7, and the greatest effort was made during those four years in Japan. The four years were coming to an end with an absolute inner certainty that there was nothing to be done that it was impossible, impossible to do it this way. There was nothing to be done. And I was intensely concentrated, asking the Lord, Well, I made You a vow to do this, I had said, Even if its necessary to descend into hell, I will descend into hell to do it. Now tell me, what must I do?The Power was plainly there: suddenly everything in me became still; the whole external being was completely immobilized and I had a vision of the Supreme more beautiful than that of the Gita. A vision of the Supreme.8 And this vision literally gathered me into its arms; it turned towards the West, towards India, and offered meand there at the other end I saw Sri Aurobindo. It was I felt it physically. I saw, sawmy eyes were closed but I saw (twice I have had this vision of the Supremeonce here, much later but this was the first time) ineffable. It was as if this Immensity had reduced itself to a rather gigantic Being who lifted me up like a wisp of straw and offered me. Not a word, nothing else, only that.
Then everything vanished.
0 1961-12-23, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Because there comes a time when one perceives the entire universe in such a total and comprehensive way that, in truth, it is impossible to remove anything from it without disturbing everything. And going a couple of steps further, one knows for certain that things which shock us as contradictions of the Divine are simply things out of place. Each thing must be exactly in its place, and whats more, be supple enough, plastic enough, to admit into a harmonious, progressive organization all the new elements constantly being added to the manifest universe. The universe is in a perpetual movement of internal reorganization, and at the same time its growing: its becoming more and more complex, more and more complete, more and more integralindefinitely. And as the new elements manifest, the whole reorganization must be built on a new basis, and thus there isnt a second when ALL is not in perpetual movement. And when the movement is in accord with the divine order, its harmonious, so perfectly harmonious that its almost imperceptible. Now, if you descend from this consciousness towards a more external consciousness, you begin naturally to have a very precise feeling of what helps you attain the true consciousness and what bars the way or pulls you backwards or even fights against your progress. And so the perspective changes and you are obliged to say: this is divine or a help towards the Divine; and that goes against the Divine, its the Divines enemy. But this is a pragmatic standpoint, geared to action, to movement in material lifebecause you havent yet attained the consciousness surpassing all that; because you havent reached that inner perfection where you no longer have to fight, since you have gone beyond the field or the time or the utility of struggle. But before reaching that state in your consciousness and action, there is necessarily struggle; and if there is struggle, there is choice; and to choose, you need discrimination.
(Mother remains silent)
--
You know, I can say one thing about this. Theres a type of woman I have met more or less periodically throughout my life. These beings are under the influence, or are incarnations of, or in any case are responsive to forces which Theon called passivenot exactly feminine forces, but on the Prakriti2 side of the universe: the dark Prakriti side (there is an active dark side, the asuric forces, and a passive dark side). And these are terrible beings, terrible! They have wreaked havoc in life. They represent one of the creations biggest difficulties. And they are attracted to me! Mon petit, they adore me, they detest me, they would like to destroy meand individually they CANNOT do without me! They come to me like like fireflies to light. And they hate me! They would like to crush me. Thats how it is.
I have met five women like that, the last two here (they were the most terrible). Its a phenomenon of hate and rage mixed with loves greatest power of attractionno sweetness, of course, no tenderness, nothing like that but NEED, loves greatest power of attraction, mixed with hate. And they cling, you know, and then what fun!
0 1962-01-09, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It gets much less winded, of course, when you have the inner equality of the divine Presence. So much fatigue is due to excess tension produced by desire or effort or struggle, by the constant battle against all opposing forces. All that can go.
We tire ourselves out quite needlessly.
--
So its a bit difficult for me to identify with the feeling Sri Aurobindo describes here; it doesnt correspond to anything in me. I understand, of course! I understand very well what he means. But to identify with that sentiment.
But tell me what you wanted to say.
All in all, in these last few aphorisms Sri Aurobindo is clearly trying to show us that we must go beyond the sense of sin and virtue. It reminds me of a passage from one of your experiences which struck me very much at the time. In that experience you went to the supramental world: you saw a ship landing on the shore of the supramental world and people being put through certain testssome people were rejected, others were kept. Theres a striking passage in your description, and it bears a relation to these aphorisms. May I read you what you said?14
Yes I dont remember it any more.
After describing the ship and the disembarkation, you say:
The criterion or the judgment [for passing the tests] was based EXCLUSIVELY on the substance constituting the peoplewhe ther they belonged completely to the supramental world or not, whether they were made of this very special substance. The criterion adopted was neither moral nor psychological. It is likely that their bodily substance was the result of an inner law or an inner movement which, at that time, was not in question. At least it is quite clear that the values are different.
0 1962-01-12 - supramental ship, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The question, of course, is the supramentalization of MATTER the consciousness, thats nothing at all. Most people who have had that experience had it on the mental level, which is relatively easy. Its very easy: abolition of limits set by the ego, indefinite expansion with a movement following the rhythm of the Becoming. Mentally, its all very easy. Vitally. A few months after I withdrew to my room, I had the experience in the vitalwonderful, magnificent! Of course to have the experience there, the mind must have undergone a change, one must be in complete communion; without exception, any individual vital being that hasnt been prepared by what might be called a sufficient mental foundation would be panic-stricken. All those poor people who get scared at the least little experience had better not dabble with thistheyd panic! But as it happensthrough divine grace, you might saymy vital, the vital being of this present incarnation, was born free and victorious. It has never been afraid of anything in the vital world; the most fantastic experiences were practically childs play. But when I had that experience, it was so interesting that for a few weeks I was tempted to stay in it; it was. I once told you a little about that experience (it was quite a while ago, at least two years).5 I told you that even during the day I seemed to be sitting on top of the Earth that was this realization in the vital world. And what fantastic nights it gave me! Nights I have never been able to describe to anyone and never mentioned but I would look forward to the night as a marvelous adventure.
I voluntarily renounced all that in order to go further. And when I did it, I understood what people here in India mean when they say: he surrendered his experience. I had never really understood what that meant. When I did it, I understood. No, I said, I dont want to stop there; I am giving it all to You, that I may go on to the end. Then I understood what it meant.
0 1962-01-21, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It was like a memory,1 an eternally present memory of that consciousness of supreme Love emanated by the Lord onto earth INTO earthto draw it back again to Him. And truly it was the descent of the very essence of the divine nature into the most total divine negation, and thus the abandonment of the divine condition to take on terrestrial darkness, so as to bring Earth back to the divine state. And unless That, that supreme Love, becomes all-powerfully conscious here on Earth, the return can never be definitive.
It came after the vision of the great divine Becoming.2 Since this world is progressive, I was wondering, since it is increasingly becoming the Divine, wont there always be this deeply painful sense of the nondivine, of the state that, compared with the one to come, is not divine? Wont there always be what we call adverse forces, in other words, things that dont harmoniously follow the movement? Then came the answer, the vision of That: No, the moment of this very Possibility is drawing near, the moment for the manifestation of the essence of perfect Love, which can transform this unconsciousness, this ignorance and this ill will that goes with it into a luminous and joyous progression, wholly progressive, wholly comprehensive, thirsting for perfection.
--
When I had the experience that the time had come for the supramental Force to descend on Earth, I followed the effects of that descent, I followed the effects and the consequences in my consciousness. But to ordinary eyes it was something like what happened with Indias liberationits possible, of course, that the Supermind did come down, but for the moment its effects are more than veiled.
The first rather tangible manifestation was this vision of the boat; with that, things became more concrete, it radically changed something in the attitude.
--
The other motive for anubhava is of a more general applicability; for in order to reject anything from the being one has first to become conscious of it, to have the clear inner experience of its action and to discover its actual place in the workings of the nature. One can then work upon it to eliminate it, if it is an entirely wrong movement, or to transform it if it is only the degradation of a higher and true movement. It is this or something like it that is attempted crudely and improperly with a rudimentary and insufficient knowledge in the system of psycho-analysis. The process of raising up the lower movements into the full light of consciousness in order to know and deal with them is inevitable; for there can be no complete change without it. But it can truly succeed only when a higher light and force are sufficiently at work to overcome, sooner or later, the force of the tendency that is held up for change. Many, under the pretext of anubhava, not only raise up the adverse movement, but support it with their consent instead of rejecting it, find justifications for continuing or repeating it and so go on playing with it, indulging its return, eternising it; afterwards when they want to get rid of it, it has got such a hold that they find themselves helpless in its clutch and only a terrible struggle or an intervention of divine grace can liberate them.Some do this out of a vital twist or perversity, others out of sheer ignorance; but in yoga, as in life, ignorance is not accepted by Nature as a justifying excuse. This danger is there in all improper dealings with the ignorant parts of the nature; but none is more ignorant, more perilous, more unreasoning and obstinate in recurrence than the lower vital subconscious and its movements. To raise it up prematurely or improperly for anubhava is to risk suffusing the conscious parts also with its dark and dirty stuff and thus poisoning the whole vital and even the mental nature. Always therefore one should begin by a positive, not a negative experience, by bringing down something of the divine nature, calm, light, equanimity, purity, divine strength into the parts of the conscious being that have to be changed; only when that has been sufficiently done and there is a firm positive basis, is it safe to raise up the concealed subconscious adverse elements in order to destroy and eliminate them by the strength of the divine calm, light, force and knowledge. Even so, there will be enough of the lower stuff rising up of itself to give you as much of the anubhava as you will need for getting rid of the obstacles; but then they can be dealt with with much less danger and under a higher internal guidance.
***
0 1962-01-24, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Stretched out in love desire her rebel sons.1
Yes, thats it.
0 1962-01-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And once the world has become like that, has become the vital world in all its darkness, and they, from this vital world, have created Matter, the supreme Mother sees (laughing) the result of her first four emanations and She turns towards the Supreme in a great entreaty: Now that this world is in such a dreadful state, it has to be saved! We cant just leave it this way, can we? It has to be saved, the divine consciousness must be given back to it. What to do? And the Supreme says, Thrust yourself into a new emanation, an emanation of the ESSENCE of Love, down into the most material Matter. That meant plunging into the earth (the earth had become a symbol and a representation of the whole drama). Plunge into Matter. So She plunged into Matter, and that became the primordial source of the Divine within material substance. And from there (as is so well described in Savitri), She begins to act as a leaven in Matter, raising it up from within.
And as She plunged into the earth, a second series of emanations was sent forth the godsto inhabit the intermediary zones between Sachchidananda and the earth. And these gods (laughing) well, great care was taken to make them perfect, so they wouldnt give any trouble! But they are a bit a bit too perfect, arent they? Yes, a bit too perfect: they never make mistakes, they always do exactly as theyre told. In short, rather lacking in initiative. They do have some, but.
In fact, they were not surrendered in the way a psychic being can be, because they had no psychic in them. The psychic being is the result of that descent. Only human beings have it. And thats what makes humanity so superior to the gods. Theon insisted greatly on this: throughout his story, humans are far superior to gods and should not obey themthey should only be in contact with the Supreme in his aspect of perfect Love.
I dont know how to put it. To me, those gods always seemed (not those described in the Puranas, theyre different well, not so very different!) but the way Theon presented them, they seemed just like a bunch of marshmallows! Its not that they had no powerthey had a lot of power, but they lacked that psychic flame.
And to Theon, the God of the Jews and Christians was an Asura. This Asura wanted to be unique; and so he became the most terrible despot imaginable. Anatole France said the same thing (I now know that Anatole France had never read Theons story, but I cant imagine where he picked this up). Its in The Revolt of the Angels. He says that Satan is the true God and that Jehovah, the only God, is the monster. And when the angels wanted Satan to become the one and only God, Satan realized he was immediately taking on all Jehovahs failings! So he refused: Oh, nothank you very much! Its a wonderful story, and in exactly the same spirit as what Theon used to say. The very first thing I asked Anatole France (I told you I met him oncemutual friends introduced us), the first thing I asked him was, Have you ever read The Tradition? He said no. I explained why I had asked, and he was interested. He said his source was his own imagination. He had caught that idea intuitively.
Well, if you speak this way to philosophers and metaphysicians, theyll look at you as if to say, You must be a real simpleton to believe all that claptrap! But these things are not to be taken as concrete truths they are simply splendid images. Through them I really did come in contact, very concretely, with the truth of what caused the worlds distortion, much better than with all the Hindu stories, far more easily.
Buddhism and all similar lines of thought took the shortest path: The desire to exist is what has caused all the trouble. If the Lord had refrained from having this desire, there would have been no world! Its childish, very childish, really a much too human way of looking at the problem.
To see it from the angle of delight of being is qualitatively far superior, but then theres still the problem of why it all became the way it is. The usual reply is: because all things were possible, and this is ONE possibility. But its not a very satisfying feeling: Yes, all right, thats just the way it is, its a fact. People used to ask Theon too, Why did it happen like this? Why? Wait till you get to the other side, then you will know. And meanwhile do whats necessary to get there thats the most urgent thing.
--
It was written in English and I am the one who translated it into Frenchinto horrible French, perfectly ghastly, because I put in all the new words Theon had dreamed up. He had made a detailed description of all the faculties latent in man, and it was remarkable but with such barbarous words! You can make up new words in English and get away with it, but in French its utterly ridiculous. And there I was, very conscientiously putting them all in! Yet in terms of experience, it was splendid. It really was an experienceit came from Madame Theons experiences in exteriorization. She had learned what Theon also taught me, to speak while youre in the seventh heaven (the body goes on speaking, rather slowly, in a rather low voice, but it works quite well). She would speak and a friend of hers, another English woman who was their secretary, would note it all down as she went along (I think she knew shorthand). And afterwards it was made into stories, told as stories. It was all shown to Sri Aurobindo and it greatly interested him. He even adopted some of the words into his own terminology.
The divisions and subdivisions of the being were described down to the slightest detail and with perfect precision. I went through the experience again on my own, without any preconceived ideas, just like that: leaving one body after the other, one body after the other, and so on twelve times. And my experienceapart from certain quite negligible differences, doubtless due to differences in the receiving brainwas exactly the same.
(the clock strikes)
--
I dont know if those experiences have been described in traditional scriptures. I havent read any I know nothing of Indian literature, nothing at all. I only know what Sri Aurobindo has said, plus a few odds and ends from here and there. And each time I found myself faced with their vocabulary oh, it really puts you off!
You speak of exteriorizationcouldnt you show me a simple way of learning to do it?
0 1962-02-03, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But Sujata, for example, was completely, COMPLETELY free of the whole (what shall I say?) what could be called the unhappy aspect of her karmacompletely free. For I know the people around me and what they carry with them very well, and there was nothingjust one thing remained, the one part that was rather constructive, so I had left that totally intact. And when the events of her past life were revealed to her, I took the greatest care to destroy the revelation as it was being given. And I did it ruthlessly. You see, it was like dumping a load of mud on someone completely unsullied, and I didnt let it happen (I couldnt stop what entered through her physical brain, but inwardly I utterly annihilated it). The only thing I left untouched was the constructive part of the bond that had existed between you two, and so when she met you, she. Thats all I left, because it was good, pure, lovelyit was good. But all the rest. And you saw how strongly I protested when I was told she had committed suicide. No, no, no! I said; even if somebody with perfect knowledge were to tell me so, Id still say NO.
She is untainted by all thatpure and I wont stand for someone pure to be soiled. She was so much my child that after her death everything was carefully cleansed, arranged, put back in place, organized, purified. So she returned unblemished and pure, and I dont want her soiled.
0 1962-02-06, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And that is exactly what I have seen in the light of the events described in Perseus. If you dont take the problem generally but specifically, down to the least detail. But it evaporates as soon as you formulate it. Only when you feel it concretely, when you get a grip on it, can you grasp both things.
(silence)
0 1962-02-13, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But truly, if someone (I dont know who or what this Someone is) if I am given the time, I will know I am convinced of it. For despite all the growing difficulties, there is also a growing knowledge, a constant progress. So from that standpoint, I CANNOT be mistaken; it is impossible. This Presence is becoming so concrete and so (what shall I say?) so helpful, so concrete in its help. But it obviously takes a long time.
This is exactly one month before the first radical turning point in Mother's yoga.
0 1962-02-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
With a universal mental vision, you can see (and this is very interesting) how the mental world operates to get realized on the physical plane. You see the various mental formations, how they converge, conflict, combine and relate to one another, which ones get the upper hand, exert a stronger influence and achieve a more total realization. Now, if you really want a higher vision, you must get out of the mental world and see the original wills as they descend to take expression. In this case, you may not have all the details, but the central FACT, the fact in its central truth, is indisputable, undeniable, absolutely correct.
Some people also have the faculty of predicting things already existing on earth but at a distance, far from physical eyestheyre generally those who have the capacity to expand and extend their consciousness. Their vision is slightly more subtle than physical vision, and depends on an organ subtler than its purely material counterpart (what could be called the life of this organ). So, by projecting their consciousness, and having the will to see, they can clearly see things that already exist but are beyond our ordinary field of vision. Those who have this capacitysincere people who tell what they see, not blufferssee with perfect precision and exactness.
--
It depends. Each thing has its method. But the primary method is to want it, to make a decision. Then you are given a description of all these senses and how they function thats a lengthy process. You choose one sense (or several), perhaps the one for which you have the greatest initial aptitude, and you decide. Then you follow the discipline. Its similar to doing exercises for developing muscles. You can even manage to create willpower in yourself.
For the subtler senses, the method is to create an exact image of what you want, make contact with the corresponding vibration and then concentrate and practice. For instance, you practice seeing through an object, or hearing through a sound2 or seeing at a distance. As an example, I was once bedridden for several months, which I found quite boring I wanted to see. I was staying in one room and beyond that room was another little room and after that a sort of bridge; in the middle of the garden the bridge changed into a stairway going down into a very spacious and beautiful studio built in the middle of the garden.3 I wanted to go see what was happening in the studio I was bored stiff in my room! So I stayed very still, shut my eyes and gradually, gradually sent out my consciousness. I did the exercise regularly, day after day, at a set hour. You begin with your imagination, and then it becomes a fact. After a while, I distinctly sensed my vision physically moving: I followed it and saw things going on downstairs I knew absolutely nothing about. I would verify it in the evening, asking, Did it happen like this? Was that how it was?
0 1962-03-03, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
76Europe pri des herself on her practical and scientific organisation and efficiency. I am waiting till her organisation is perfect; then a child shall destroy her.
Thats embarrassing.
0 1962-03-06, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
except the bare minimum, which I do because it has to be done; otherwise. I have no desire to stir up the mind, I want something else.
Naturally! Thank god, I tell you, its an immense progress. You should be delighted.
0 1962-03-11, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The great ones know (I am not speaking of the multitude of minor beings, but the others; there are millions of emanationsemanations by the truckload!but only a few great ones), they know enough to be aware of their own position in the universe and that they will come to an end. They know there is such a thing as the Supreme (although they deny it), and that they are cut off from the Supreme, and that they will come to an end. But they have taken a stand against the Work, the Action, the Progress, and are intent on destroying as much as they can.
Some of them get converted. Their conversion means a great entity joining the divine Work but that seldom happens.
0 1962-03-13, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Because it comes from very highits not from here, not at all; it was decided on high, and a long, LONG time ago. Before you came here, I was constantly feeling. Besi des, it hadnt been so long without Sri Aurobindo; when Sri Aurobindo was here I had nothing to say, and if I did speak it was almost by chance. Thats all. What had to be said was said by him. And when he left and I began to read his books (which I hadnt read before), I told myself, Well, what do you know! There was absolutely no need for me to say anything. And I had less and less desire to speak. The minute I met you, I began to get interested. Ah, I thought, collaboration! Something interesting can be done.
None of this is random chance. Its not that were taking advantage of circumstances, not at all; it was DECREED.
0 1962-04-03, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(Since March 16, Mother has been going through a grave ordeal that threatened her physical existence. Even so, she went down to the balcony on the 18th and 20th of March, which were to be the last times. She has not left her room since then. All her conversations with Satprem will henceforth take place in her upstairs room. The latest attack occurred the previous night, April 2-3, and took the form of a total cardiac arrest. despite her condition, this morning Mother has found the strength to speak. She speaks in English. Her words have been noted down from memory.)
Just between eleven and twelve [last night] I had an experience by which I discovered that there is a group of peoplepurposely their identity was not revealed to mewanting to create a kind of religion based on the revelation of Sri Aurobindo. But they have taken only the side of power and force, a certain kind of knowledge and all which could be utilized by Asuric forces. There is a big Asuric being that has succeeded in taking the appearance of Sri Aurobindo. It is only an appearance. This appearance of Sri Aurobindo has declared to me that the work I am doing is not his. It has declared that I have been a traitor to him and to his work and has refused to have anything to do with me.
0 1962-05-13, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Then began the process of descent,1 and the Voice was explaining it to me I lived through it all in detail, and it wasnt pleasant. It took an hour and a half to change from that true Consciousness to the individual consciousness. Because throughout the experience this present individuality no longer existed, this body no longer existed, there were no more limits, I was no longer herewhat was here was THE PERSON. An hour and a half was needed to return to the body-consciousness (not the physical consciousness but the body-consciousness), to the individual body-consciousness.
The first sign of the return to individuality was a prick of pain, a tiny point (Mother holds between her fingers a minuscule point in the space of her being). Yes, because I have a sore, a sore in a rather awkward place, and it hurts2 (Mother laughs). So I felt the pain: it was the sign of individuality coming back. Other than that, there was nothing any moreno body, no individual, no limits. But its strange, I have made a strange discovery3: I used to think it was the individual (Mother touches her body) who experienced pain and disabilities and all the misfortunes of human life; well, I perceived that what experiences misfortunes is not the individual not my body, but that each misfortune, each pain, each disability has its own individuality as it were, and each one represents a battle.
--
I would prefer a word other than descent, because there was no sensation or notion of descentnone at all. It could be called the process of materialization or individualizationtransformation of consciousness would be more exact. It is the process of changing from the true Consciousness to the distorted consciousness thats it exactly.
You say it yourself: the transition from the true Consciousness to ordinary consciousness.
Thats it exactly. descent doesnt convey the actual sensation there was no sensation of descent. None. Neither of ascent nor descent. None at all. Those creative gusts had no POSITION in relation to the creation; it was. There was ONLY THAT. THAT ALONE existed. Nothing else.
And everything happened within That.
--
It was something expressing itself, manifesting itself through these gusts. Something that was EVERYTHING. There was nothing else, there was really nothing but THAT. So to speak of high, low, descent wont do at all.
If you like, we could put the process of return.
0 1962-05-15, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I had said [on April 3] I would find the date of my first encounter with that fake Sri Aurobindo. What I found was the date of another experience that followed that encounter by perhaps three or four weeks, so that pins it down (Mother holds up an old desk-calendar page on which she had written:)
Night of July 24-25, 59: first penetration of the supramental force into the body. Sri Aurobindo alive in a concrete and permanent subtle physical body.
--
So it was in 59 that I first saw them, and it must have been the end of June or the beginning of July. This note [the desk-calendar page] is what gave me the clue, because I know that the other experience [of Sri Aurobindo in the subtle physical] came a few weeks later.
You say there was a whole group organized around that asuric beingpeople, ceremonies.
--
For instance, I am walking a little now, with someones assistance, to get the body used to it again. And when I started walking, I became aware of a rather peculiar state I might describe it as: what gives me the illusion of a body (Mother laughs). I entrust it to the person I walk with. In other words, its not my responsibility: the other person has to make sure it doesnt fall, doesnt bump into anythingyou see what I mean. And the consciousness is a limitless consciousness, like a material equivalent or expression of these gustsits like waves, but waves with no. Not separate waves, but a MOVEMENT of waves; a movement of what might be called material, corporeal waves, as vast as the earth, but not not round, not flat. Something giving a great sense of infinity but moving in waves. And this wave movement is the movement of life. And the consciousness (the body-consciousness, I suppose) floats along in this, with a sensation of eternal peace. But its not an expanse thats not the word for it. It is a limitless movement, with a very harmonious and very tranquil rhythm, very vast, very calm. And this movement is life itself.
I walk around the room, and that is what is walking.
--
And actually, apart from the fact of suffering (you know, an ache here, an ache there, a pain here, a pain there, giving the sense of bodily individuality), apart from that, that great undulating movement of life is my normal consciousness. Meaning that I what I call Me (gesture high above), my consciousness, is completely outside the body. Thats what the consciousness of the body is (what Ive just been describing), with only points of pain as reminders of what a body usually is: an ache here, an ache there, another ache here. Thats what its like. And this pain has a small and extremely limited life; its not general, its not a body that suffers: it is suffering that suffers. Its a point, a point of paina scratch here, a sore there, things like that. Thats what is individual and suffersits not the body that has a sore, you understand.
It is difficult to express.
--
(Somewhat later, Mother gives Satprem the old desk-calendar page on which she had noted the experience of July 24-25, 59the first meeting with Sri Aurobindo in the subtle physicalalong with another sheet of paper on which she had written: I am only realizing what He has conceived. I am only the protagonist and the continuator of His work.6 Mother explains.)
Some people wanted to get me nominated for the Nobel peace prize; I was asked for a statement and thats what I wrote. I wanted to say that it wasnt this person who did thingsit was all Sri Aurobindo.
--
Once again, with Mother, we find ourselves deep into modern physics. All theories of physics attempting to describe the structure of our universe and the composition of matter, whether they emanate from official scientific laboratories or from the work of independent researchers, point to the wavelike or sinusoidal movement as the constituent and dynamic foundation of physical reality. Indeed, whether in electromagnetic or gravitational fields, or in atomic interactions, everything, from the heart of the atom to the farthest reaches of the universe, moves or is propagated as waves. With striking succinctness Mother says, The wave movement is the movement of life.
A movement of waves without beginning or end, with a condensation like this (gesture from above down), with a condensation like that (horizontal gesture). We cannot fail to be reminded of the electromagnetic field with its two perpendicular components, the electric and magnetic fields, which are propagated along an infinite sinusoidal wave. And then again: A movement of expansion a sort of contraction, concentration, and then expansion, diffusion. Unmistakably, this is an exact description of the propagation in space of a sinusoidal wave.
Striking though the parallel may be, there is still a fundamental difference between these mathematical concepts and Mothers experience. In the first case, we are dealing with conceptual instruments used by the human mind to better explain and master the world: no one has actually seen electromagnetic wavesnot to speak of gravitational ones! They are images, convenient models, invisible and nonexistent in themselves. They exist only through their effects: a beam of sunlight, which is an electromagnetic wave, strikes our retina and enables us to distinguish a flower; by means of gravitational waves, Newtons apple falls from the tree but no one has lived the reality of those waves. The way Mother grasps reality, on the contrary, is first and foremost through lived experience. She is the movement, she is the wave: I walk around the room, and that is what is walking. Here we touch upon a stupendous mystery and a formidable question: How is it possible for a material and cellular body to be the wave that at once constitutes and carries the worlds along in its infinite undulating movement and governs the existence of atoms and galaxies? How is it possible to be an infinite and ubiquitous electromagnetic wave while remaining within the narrow confines of a human body?
In being THAT, it might be said, Mother thus resolves the famous question of the unified-field theory, the theory to which Einstein devoted the last years of his life in vain, that would describe the movements of both planets and atoms in a single mathematical equation. Mothers body-consciousness is one with the movement of the universe, Mother lives the unified-field theory in her body. In so doing she opens up to us not merely one more physical theory, but the very path to a new species on earth, a species that will physically and materially live on the scale of the universe. The posthuman species might not simply be one with a few organs more or less, but rather one capable of being at every point in the universe. A sort of material ubiquity. It may not be so much a new as an ubiquitous species, a species that embraces everything, from the blade of grass under our feet to the far galaxies. A multifarious, undulating existence. A resume or epitome of evolution, really, which at the end of its course again becomes each point and each species and each movement of its own evolution.
There was, in fact, a whole group of Ashram people (they might be called the Ashram "intelligentsia") who, influenced by Subhas Bose, were strongly in favor of the Nazis and the Japanese against the British. (It should be recalled that the British were the invaders of India, and thus many people considered Britain's enemies to be automatically India's friends.) It reached the point where Sri Aurobindo had to intervene forcefully and write: "I affirm again to you most strongly that this is the Mother's war.... The victory of one side (the Allies) would keep the path open for the evolutionary forces: the victory of the other side would drag back humanity, degrade it horribly and might lead even, at the worst, to its eventual failure as a race, as others in the past evolution failed and perished.... The Allies at least have stood for human values, though they may often act against their own best ideals (human beings always do that); Hitler stands for diabolical values or for human values exaggerated in the wrong way until they become diabolical.... That does not make the English or Americans nations of spotless angels nor the Germans a wicked and sinful race, but...." (July 29, 1942 and Sept. 3, 1943, Cent. Ed., Vol. XXVI.394 ff.) And on her side also, Mother had to publicly declare: "It has become necessary to state emphatically and clearly that all who by their thoughts and wishes are supporting and calling for the victory of the Nazis are by that very fact collaborating with the Asura against the Divine and helping to bring about the victory of the Asura.... Those, therefore, who wish for the victory of the Nazis and their associates should now understand that it is a wish for the destruction of our work and an act of treachery against Sri Aurobindo." (May 6, 1941, original English.)
See note at the end of this conversation
0 1962-05-24, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
For a very long time it had seemed to me that a perfect union between the scientific approach pushed to its extreme and the spiritual approach pushed to its extreme, to its utmost realization, a merging of the two would naturally lead to the Truth we seek, the total Truth. But with the two experiences I have had, the experience of the outer life (with universalization, impersonalizationall the yogic experiences you can have in a material body) and the experience of total and perfect union with the Origin now that Ive had those two experiences and something has happened something I cant yet describe I know that knowing and uniting the two approaches is not enough; they open out on a third thing, and that third thing is what is in the making. The third thing is what can lead to the Realization, to the Truth we seek.
Is it clear this time?
--
76Europe pri des herself on her practical and scientific organisation and efficiency. I am waiting till her organisation is perfect; then a child shall destroy her.
I wont say anything about that, mon petit.
0 1962-05-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(The subject here is a letter, no longer extant, in which Satprem expresses his desire to go write his new book1 in the Himalayas, far from present circumstances. These circumstances included poor health, but mainly, lurking behind, was the violent and almost physical inner wound caused by his break with X. The idea was to go away for a change of air.)
(With an ironic smile) On the meandering path of the world, this trip doesnt look too bad! For you personally, its an experience that yes, that would give you a concrete sense of the vanity of a number of things that still. You see, throughout all ones lives and all of lifes circumstances, theres one thing after another, one thing after another, one thing after another (zigzag gesture) to remove the scales from your eyes.
--
Recently these last few days in particular, because of this business with XIve been seeing the two persons that are in you. One of them is far more real to you than the other, because it has been given more expression; it is more realized, more conscious of itself, and its something you know well. The other being doesnt yet have the power to direct (how shall I put it?) to openly and consciously direct your destiny. Thats why you might still find yourself wandering in labyrinths.
For the moment I am in a seemingly neutral stateall I can say is, Well see. There is no definite no and no definite yesthere has been no definite approval, but there hasnt been the no that says, Its impossible. So it looks like that eternal Well see. How long will it be till we see? I dont know. It may be a few hours, a few days, a few minutes I dont know.
--
(After a silence) Among those who have gone beyond the stage of needing successive reincarnations to develop their psychic beings, among those whose souls are conscious, fully developed, there are some who (what shall I say?) who are chosen or destined to participate in a certain terrestrial action. And in the process of reincarnation, there is always always some degree of confusion and disarray, you see. I can speak of my own case, if you like; despite every precaution, certain kinds of confusion couldnt be avoided and of course this complicated the work. It was the same for Sri Aurobindo. And all this confusion sometimes greatly disrupts the work.
But there are a certain number of beingsnot manywho have come back on earth ONLY to take part in a particular work, in a particular way. And outer things, personal and individual things, are virtually sacrificed to that. Certain faculties, for instance, whose source is the higher entity, faculties that in an ordinary life would result in a measure of power or fame or success or realization, are placed under conditions where their outer effect is subordinated to the needs of a particular work.
--
I have absolutely no desire to do that!
Thats quite obviousyouve had the experience.
--
Externally, with this book Im supposed to write, I would say I have no desire to do so. Nonetheless, Ive come to the point where I no longer pay attention to my desires or non- desires; but anyway, I cant say Im enthusiastic about it.
No, its not interesting for you. And that I can understand!
--
What I actually wanted to put before you is this lack of desire to write the book.
It doesnt matter, mon petit!
0 1962-05-29, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Human beings arent that limited, after all! It is rather yes, its a matter of atavism, of education, of all sorts of things; and above all, I think the main reason is that you have no desire toits no fun for you!
(Satprem laughs in complete agreement)
0 1962-05-31, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Something done with a very light touch, with no importance attached to it, but coming from a new worldoh, nowadays I constantly make a distinction between (what shall I say?) the straight-line, right-angle life and the undulating life. One life I might describe like this (Mother makes chopping gestures, showing crisscrossing lines): everything is sharp-edged, hard, angular, and youre constantly bumping into things; and then theres an undulating life, very sweet, with a great charmVERY charming but not not too stable. Strange, its a completely different kind of life. Well, my story belonged to that world. There was nothing here (Mother touches her forehead), and not even anything here (above the head); it was something like like waves. And it was very joyous, very joyous and carefree.
(silence)
0 1962-06-02, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yes, it has effectsfar and near. The people nearest to me dont seem to be the most receptive; but with them the action is much more complex and SOLIDI mean instead of a sudden experience thats almost, as I said, out of proportion to their normal condition, something is being progressively BUILT. I constantly find myself in the midst of constructions, immense constructions in the making. It was like that last night; I had to flounder about in something like cement, a kind of batter. And then I meet all sorts of people who are also more or less symbolic, but who sometimes have the features of a specific person. Its a whole WORLD of circumstances, symbolic down to the most minute details. I remember everything, but I would have to describe a whole world and an apparently uninteresting world, at that (outwardly uninteresting, I mean); but it gives me the key, from every point of view, to the present state of things, to the world now in the making.
Last night I spent almost all my time in such a building. And all the people who help the work were symbolized there but its always a material help, either work or money or. I remember being particularly struck by one character last night. (Again, there were a lot of aggravations, but someone or something was always on the scene when I arrived and it all sorted itself outit was the exact opposite of the dreams I was talking about the other day: all the difficulties sorted themselves out when I arrived.) Then I came to a rather difficult place to cross (you had to flounder about on slippery scaffoldings) and suddenly, facing me, there was a man (of course, it was probably a symbol rather than a man, but it might really be someone physical). He was one of the workers, a master mason (when I woke up this morning, I thought of the symbolism of Freemasonry and wondered if it might give a clue to the experience). Nearby, people were coming to supervise, observe, direct, people who thought themselves highly superior but they were never any help in solving practical problems! They were creating more problems than they were helping to solve. Anyway, this master mason appeared to be around fifty, with a beautiful facea workers face, beautiful and concentrated. There was a difficult place to cross, and he had worked the thing out very efficiently, with a lot of care. Then, when it was all done and I was able to go on my way, I felt a great surge of love go out to him, with neither gesture nor word and he received it, he felt and received it. His face lit up and he implored me, with wonderful humility, Never let me forget this moment, the most beautiful moment of my life. (I dont know what language he used because it didnt come to me in words.) It was such an intense experience. His humility, his receptivity, his response were all so beautiful and pure that when I woke upwhen I came out of the experience, at any rate I was left with a most delightful impression.
0 1962-06-06, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But then it was noted that some people did accomplish this Returnsince they lived it and described it but all the same, everything else continues to exist, to coexist. Therefore.
Its something else.
--
This is what Mother calls "shifting the needle of consciousness": "When people who are depressed or in despair come to see me," she once told Satprem, "all I have to do is slightly shift the needle of consciousness, and they go away happy. Out of habit, unfortunately, their state returns." (See Agenda I, February 25, 1958, p. 148)
***
0 1962-06-09, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And so it becomes EVIDENT that immortality can be achieved! Things get destroyed simply because of their own rigidity and even then, its only a semblance of destruction; the essential element stays the same, everywhere, in everything, in decay just as much as in life.
It is extremely interesting!
0 1962-06-12, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There is a way of looking at thingsan all too human waywhich sees me as VERY dangerous, very dangerous. It has been said time and time again. There was an Englishwoman who came here after an unhappy love affair. She had come to India seeking consolation, and stumbled onto Pondicherry. It was right at the beginning (those English Conversations5 are things I said to her; I spoke in English and then translated itor rather said it all over again in French). And at the end of a years stay, this woman said to me (with such despair!), When I came here I was still able to love and feel goodwill towards people; but now that Ive become conscious, I am full of contempt and hatred! So I answered her, Go a bit farther on. Oh, no! she replied. Its enough for me as it is! And she added, You are a very dangerous person. Because I was making people conscious! (Mother laughs) But its true! Once you start, you have to go right to the end; you mustnt stop on the wayon the way, it gets to be hard going.
I dont do it on purpose.
0 1962-06-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Before I met Sri Aurobindo they would come and come and come to me, night after night and sometimes during the daya mass of things! Afterwards I told Sri Aurobindo about it, and he explained to me that it was quite natural. And indeed, it is quite natural: with the present incarnation of the Mahashakti (as he described it in Savitri), whatever is more or less bound up with Her wants to take part, thats quite natural. And its particularly true for the vital: there has always been a preoccupation with organizing, centralizing, developing and unifying the vital forces, and controlling them. So theres a considerable number of vital beings, each with its own particular ability, who have played their role in history and now return.
But this one [the tall white Being] is not of human origin; it was not formed in a human life: it is a being that had already incarnated, and is one of those who presided over the formation of this present being [Mother]. But, as I said, I saw it: it was sexless, neither male nor female, and as intrepid as the vital can be, with a calm but absolute power. Ah, I found a very good description of it in one of Sri Aurobindos plays, when he speaks of the god dess Athena (I think its in Perseus, but I am not sure); she has that kind of its an almighty calm, and with such authority! Yes, its in Perseuswhen she appears to the Sea-God and forces him to retreat to his own domain. Theres a description there that fits this Being quite well.3
Besi des, all the Greek gods are various aspects of a single thing: you see it this way, that way, that way, this way (turning her hand, Mother seems to show several facets of a single prism). But its simply one and the same thing.4
Sri Aurobindos description fits this Being exactly. And a few days ago, this same Being came, without my calling it or thinking about it or wishing it to come. And it seemed to be saying it was time for it to intervene.
So I let it!
--
Some interesting things have been happening in that world [since the supramental descent]. How can I explain? Those beings have an independence, an absolute freedom of movement (although at the same time, they are all a single Being), but they had the true sense of perfect Unity only with the supreme Consciousness. And now with this present intervention [Mothers], with this incarnation and the establishment of the Consciousness here, like this (Mother makes a fist in a gesture of immutable solidity), in such an absolute way (I mean there are no fluctuations) HERE, on earth, in the terrestrial atmosphere, this incarnation has a radiating action throughout all those worlds, all those universes, all those Entities. And it results in small events,7 incidents scaled to the size of the earthwhich in themselves are quite interesting.
(long silence)
--
First anniversary of the supramental descent: February 29, 1960.
Like the one Mother just mentioned: Durga's surrender.
0 1962-07-04, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Because they cremated him he was abruptly (Mother violently shudders) and violently thrown into contact with the destruction of the bodys form.4 It must have been the life of the form; when hurled so brutally out of the body, the life of the form must have thrown itself at him! So of course.
(silence)
--
There has never been too great an attachment to this form. There was never any attachment (even in so-called full Ignorance) to anything but consciousness yes, something set great store by this consciousness, wouldnt let it be destroyed, saying, This is something precious. But the body. Its not even too good an instrument; simply mo dest, plastic, self-effacing, and molding itself to every necessity. An ability to mold itself to all points of view and to realize every ideal it deemed worthy of realizingthis very suppleness was its one virtue. And extremely mo dest, never wanting to impose itself on anything or anyone. Fully conscious of its incapacity, but capable of doing anything, of realizing anything. It was consciously formed with this make-up, because thats what was necessary. And nothing is too great or overwhelming, since there isnt the resistance put up by a small personality with the sense of its own smallness. No, none of that mattersCONSCIOUSNESS matters; consciousness vast as the universe, even vaster. And along with consciousness, the capacity to adaptto adapt and mold itself to every necessity.
Even now, my one feeling about this form is that its too rigid. Those stupendous inner revelations, those great movements of creative consciousness are constantly hampered by this. Its trying, its trying its best, but it is still governed by such appallingly rigid laws! Appalling. How long will it take to overcome this?
0 1962-07-11, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Recently, for a short part of my nights, I suddenly find a certain task set before me dealing with this ones or that ones mental constructions. And then I feel I am facing a tremendous, destructive falsehooda TOTAL contradiction, in fact, of this endlessly unfolding creative vibration.
Some of the people concerned are here, others elsewhere that is, its the mental state (even the higher mind in some cases, not necessarily very down-to-earth) of this one or that one or. It comes individually (and the persons name along with it). And a kind of uneasiness takes hold of my body, as if I were in the presence of I dont know, in ordinary life I would say, Go away! (Mother brusquely shoos something away) But here it is presented for me to do a particular work (I know the people, some are here, others elsewhere; theyre people I am in touch with for the yoga). So I am faced with these mental formations and each one is HELD like this (Mother grips the thing with both hands) so that I dont simply brush it aside. Then (its certainly a good opportunity to go completely crazy!) I slowly bring in the divine Vibration, and I hold it like this, without moving (Mother holds this vibration tight and drives it in like a sword of light), without moving until everything fa des away into silence.
--
No, its not this way (horizontal): its that way (vertical). No, its not universal. And the more it descends, the more. But personally, I am always in contact with you above your head.
Its not partitionedno, there arent any walls, its not like that. Rather its a concentration with (how to explain?) some irregularities, in the sense that suddenly theres a very intense light, flashes of lightning, and then it dims. Some places are extremely bright, receptivereceiving, receiving, receiving; others are not asleep but more passive. And its not like this (horizontal), its like that (vertical). And all your activity is above the head; its very, very active there, but not walled-invery active. Now and then theres a small burst of light.
0 1962-07-14, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But you mustnt rush; and above all, no desire. Be very calm. The calmer you are, the longer it lasts. If youre in too much of a hurry, it goes away.
I can see it takes an EXTRAORDINARY capacity and solidity to bear That without exploding and this capacity is slowly being prepared.
--
Looking at it now (1979), this "dream" doesn't seem to be from the subconscient but actually from the subtle physical, with that whole crowd of people relentlessly assailing Mother and exhausting her (and pushing Satprem away, besi des). But desPITE the crowd, Satprem crossed through and came up "very close" to Mother, which concurs with her vision. "Dressed as a Sannyasin" means in his essentiality, divested of day-to-day material circumstances.
When one goes out of the body (and probably at death), there is always the impression of moving "upwards," or "inwards," which means into a deeper plane (either way, it is simply the expression of a change of dimension). What is striking about Mother's experience is this LEVEL movement, indicating that she had not left the physical world. We are faced with a strange enigma: a physical world WITHIN the physical worldano ther world, or the same one lived differently? A physical world where death no longer exists: one has died unto death. The world to come?...
0 1962-07-18, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
This experience I am describing is exactly what happened yesterday (it happens every day, but yesterday it was especially clear). And its still here I am seeing it as I saw it, its still here. Actually, it is always herealways herethough its more striking when the body is stretched out, motionless in the Yoga. The experience is slightly different when walking because that involves action. When the body walks, it acts on behalf of everything thats related to it, hence the action is vaster and more powerful. But when it is stretched out and asks the Lord to take possession of it, it really asks with all its aspiration. And the very intensity of the aspiration brings in the possibility of a slight emotional vibration. But it is immediately drowned in the immobile immensity of matter, which senses the Divine descent like a leaven that makes dough rise thats it exactly, the terrestrial immensity of matter and the leavening action of the Divine descent. The intensity of these vibrations is above and beyond anything we are used to feeling the vital seems dull and flat in comparison. And what a Wisdom! It knows how to make use of time that is, it actually changes itself into timeso as to minimize the possibilities of damage.
Its plain to see that, left to itself in its full power of transformation and progress, this flame of aspiration, this flame of Agni would have scant consideration for the result of the process the result of the process is that fire burns. And there could be mishaps in the functioning of the organs. All the organs must undergo a transformation, but were it too rapid and too sudden, well, everything would go out of whack. The machine would simply explode. But this Wisdom doesnt come from the universal consciousness (which I dont really think is so wise!), its infinitely higher: the Supreme Wisdom. Something so wonderful! It foresees things the universal forces in their universal play would overlooka wonder!
0 1962-07-21, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The peculiarity of this yoga is that until there is siddhi above the foundation does not become perfect. Those who have been following my course had kept many of the old samskaras; some of them have dropped away, but others still remain. There was the samskara of Sannyasa, even the wish to create an Aravinda Math [Sri Aurobindo monastery]. Now the intellect has recognized that Sannyasa is not what is wanted, but the stamp of the old idea has not yet been effaced from the prana [breath, life energy]. And so there was next this talk of remaining in the midst of the world, as a man of worldly activities and yet a man of renunciation. The necessity of renouncing desire has been understood, but the harmony of renunciation of desire with enjoyment of Ananda has not been rightly seized by the mind. And they took up my Yoga because it was very natural to the Bengali temperament, not so much from the side of Knowledge as from the side of Bhakti and Karma [Works]. A little knowledge has come in, but the greater part has escaped; the mist of sentimentalism has not been dissipated, the groove of the sattwic bhava [religious fervor] has not been broken. There is still the ego. I am not in haste, I allow each to develop according to his nature. I do not want to fashion all in the same mould. That which is fundamental will indeed be one in all, but it will express itself in many forms. Everybody grows, forms from within. I do not want to build from outside. The basis is there, the rest will come.
What I am aiming at is not a society like the present rooted in division. What I have in view is a Samgha [community] founded in the spirit and in the image of its oneness. It is with this idea that the name Deva Samgha has been given the commune of those who want the divine life is the Deva Samgha. Such a Samgha will have to be established in one place at first and then spread all over the country. But if any shadow of egoism falls over this endeavor, then the Samgha will change into a sect. The idea may very naturally creep in that such and such a body is the one true Samgha of the future, the one and only centre, that all else must be its circumference, and that those outside its limits are not of the fold or even if they are, have gone astray, because they think differently.
--
You write about the Deva Samgha and say, I am not a god, I am only a piece of much hammered and tempered iron. No one is a God but in each man there is a God and to make Him manifest is the aim of divine life. That we can all do. I recognize that there are great and small adharas [vessels]. I do not accept, however, your description of yourself as accurate. Still whatever the nature of the vessel, once the touch of God is upon it, once the spirit is awake, great and small and all that does not make much difference. There may be more difficulties, more time may be taken, there may be a difference in the manifestation, but even about that there is no certainty. The God within takes no account of these hindrances and deficiencies. He breaks his way out. Was the amount of my failings a small one? Were there less obstacles in my mind and heart and vital being and body? Did it not take time? Has God hammered me less? Day after day, minute after minute, I have been fashioned into I know not whether a god or what. But I have become or am becoming something. That is sufficient, since God wanted to build it. It is the same as regards everyone. Not our strength but the Shakti of God is the sadhaka [worker] of this yoga.
Let me tell you in brief one or two things about what I have long seen. My idea is that the chief cause of the weakness of India is not subjection nor poverty, nor the lack of spirituality or dharma [ethics] but the decline of thought-power, the growth of ignorance in the motherl and of Knowledge. Everywhere I see inability or unwillingness to thinkthought-incapacity or thought-phobia. Whatever may have been in the middle ages, this state of things is now the sign of a terrible degeneration. The middle age was the night, the time of the victory of ignorance. The modern world is the age of the victory of Knowledge. Whoever thinks most, seeks most, labors most, can fathom and learn the truth of the world, and gets so much more Shakti. If you look at Europe, you will see two things: a vast sea of thought and the play of a huge and fast-moving and yet disciplined force. The whole Shakti of Europe is in that. And in the strength of that Shakti it has been swallowing up the world, like the tapaswins [ascetics] of our ancient times, by whose power even the gods of the world were terrified, held in suspense and subjection. People say Europe is running into the jaws of destruction. I do not think so. All these revolutions and upsettings are the preconditions of a new creation.
Then look at India. Except for some solitary giants, everywhere there is your simple man, that is, the average man who does not want to think and cannot think, who has not the least Shakti but only a temporary excitement. In India, you want the simple thought, the easy word. In Europe they want the deep thought, the deep word; there even an ordinary laborer or artisan thinks, wants to know, is not satisfied with surface things but wants to go behind. But there is still this difference: there is a fatal limitation in the strength and thought of Europe. When it comes into the spiritual field, its thought-power can no longer move ahead. There Europe sees everything as riddlenebulous metaphysics, yogic hallucination. They rub their eyes as in smoke and can see nothing clear. Still, some effort is being made in Europe to surmount even this limitation. We already have the spiritual sensewe owe it to our forefa thersand whoever has that sense has at his disposal such Knowledge and Shakti as with one breath might blow away all the huge power of Europe like a blade of grass. But to get that Shakti one must be a worshiper of Shakti. We are not worshipers of Shakti. We are worshipers of the easy way. But Shakti is not to be had by the easy way. Our forefa thers dived into a sea of vast thought and gained a vast Knowledge and established a mighty civilization. As they went on in their way, fatigue and weariness came upon them. The force of thought diminished and with it also the strong current of Shakti. Our civilization has become an achalayatana [prison], our religion a bigotry of externals, our spirituality a faint glimmer of light or a momentary wave of religious intoxication. And so long as this sort of thing continues, any permanent resurgence of India is improbable
--
You must not think from all this lecture that I despair of the future of Bengal. I too hope, as they say, that this time a great light will manifest itself in Bengal. Still I have tried to show the other side of the shield, where the fault is, the error, the deficiency. If these remain, the light will not be a great light and it will not be permanent.
The meaning of this extraordinarily long talk is that I too am packing my bag. But I believe that this bundle is like the net of St. Peter, only crammed with the catch of the Infinite. I am not going to open the bag now. If I do that before its time, all would escape. Neither am I going back to Bengal now, not because Bengal is not ready, but because I am not ready. If the unripe goes amidst the unripe what work can he do?5
0 1962-07-25, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
That is my first memoryat five years old. Its impact was more on the ethical side than the intellectual; and yet it took an intellectual form too, since. You see, apparently I was a child like any other, except that I was hard to handle. Hard in the sense that I had no interest in food, no interest in ordinary games, no liking for going to my friends houses for snacks, because eating cake wasnt the least bit interesting! And it was impossible to punish me because I really couldnt have cared less: being deprived of dessert was rather a relief for me! And then I flatly refused to learn reading, I refused to learn. And even bathing me was very hard, because I was put in the care of an English governess, and that meant cold bathsmy brother took it in stride, but I just howled! Later it was found to be bad for me (the doctor said so), but that was much later. So you get the picture.
But whenever there was unpleasantness with my relatives, with playmates or friends, I would feel all the nastiness or bad willall sorts of pretty ugly things that came (I was rather sensitive, for I instinctively nurtured an ideal of beauty and harmony, which all the circumstances of life kept denying) so whenever I felt sad, I was most careful not to say anything to my mother or father, because my father didnt give a hoot and my mother would scold me that was always the first thing she did. And so I would go to my room and sit down in my little armchair, and there I could concentrate and try to understand in my own way. And I remember that after quite a few probably fruitless attempts I wound up telling myself (I always used to talk to myself; I dont know why or how, but I would talk to myself just as I talked to others): Look here, you feel sad because so-and-so said something really disgusting to you but why does that make you cry? Why are you so sad? Hes the one who was bad, so he should be crying. You didnt do anything bad to him. Did you tell him nasty things? Did you fight with her, or with him? No, you didnt do anything, did you; well then, you neednt feel sad. You should only be sad if youve done something bad, but. So that settled it: I would never cry. With just a slight inward movement, or something that said, Youve done no wrong, there was no sadness.
--
But then what is this consciousness we feel like a force inside us? For instance, sometimes in meditation it rises, then descends; its not fixed anywhere. What is this consciousness?
The Shakti!
Some receive it from above; for others, it rises from below (gesture to the base of the spine). As I once told you, the old system always proceeds from below upwards, while Sri Aurobindo pulls from above downwards. This becomes very clear in meditation (well, in yoga, in yogic experience): for those who follow the old system, its invariably the kundalini at the base [of the spine] rising from center to center, center to center, until the lotus (in an ironic tone) bursts open here gesture at the crown of the head). With Sri Aurobindo, it comes like this (gesture of descending Force) and then settles here (above the head); it enters, and from there it comes down, down, down, everywhere, to the very bottom, and even below the feet the subconscientand lower still, the inconscient.
Its the Shakti. He said, you know (I am still translating it), that the shakti drawn up from below (this is what happens in the individual process) is already what could be called a veiled shakti (it has power, but it is veiled). While the Shakti drawn down from above is a PURE Shakti; and if it can be brought down carefully and slowly enough so that it isnt (how shall I put it?) polluted or, in any case, obscured as it enters matter, then the result is immediately much better. As he has explained, if you start out with this feeling of a great power in yourself (because its always a great power no matter where it awakens), theres inevitably a danger of the ego meddling in. But if it comes pure and you are very careful to keep it pure, not to rush the movement but let it purify as it descends, then half the work is done.
Its a problem. When you contact the Supraconscient and the Shakti emerges at the crown of the head, its something rising from below, isnt it? Is it then another movement, an ascending movement?
--
Yes, thats what Sri Aurobindo always says! As soon as we start describing something, heres what happens (gesture of taking one step after another); and the moment that happens, the real thing is lost.
We just have to make the best of it.
--
Some thoughts. Are they thoughts? Its something much higher than thought, much higher than ideas. It is the VISION OF KNOWLEDGE in an extremely luminous region where vibrations are very precise and very strong; and this is obviously what, as it descends, translates into sounds and words (but this is much lower down). In the form closest to the Origin, they are luminous vibrations.
But the human mind latches on to everything and copies it!
--
I had tried to get complete mental silenceyou know, what you just described,3 this kind of mental stillness he speaks of (when you have it, anything can pass through your head without causing the least ripple), but I had never succeeded. I had tried, but couldnt do it. I could be silent when I wanted to, but as soon as I stopped thinking solely of that, stopped wanting only that, the invasion resumed and the work had to be done all over again.
Thats all I had told him (not in great detail, in a few words). Then I sat down near him and he began talking with Richard, about the world, yoga, the futureall kinds of thingswhat was going to happen (he already knew the war would break out; this was 1914, war broke out in August, and he knew it towards the end of March or early April). So the two of them talked and talked and talkedgreat speculations. It didnt interest me in the least, I didnt listen. All these things belonged to the past, I had seen it all (I too had had my visions and revelations). I was simply sitting beside him on the floor (he was sitting in a chair with Richard facing him across a table, and they were talking). I was just sitting there, not listening. I dont know how long they went on, but all at once I felt a great Force come into mea peace, a silence, something massive! It came, did this (Mother sweeps her hand across her forehead), descended and stopped here (gesture at the chest).4 When they finished talking, I got up and left. And then I noticed that not a thought remained I no longer knew anything or understood anything, I was absolutely BLANK. So I gave thanks to the Lord and thanked Sri Aurobindo in my heart.
And I was very careful not to disturb it; I held it like that for I dont know how long, eight or ten days. Nothingnot one idea, not one thought, nothinga complete BLANK. In other words, from the outside, it must have looked like total idiocy.
0 1962-07-28, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The first Prayers and Meditations date from November 1912, but there may have been earlier ones among the numerous texts Mother destroyed.
***
0 1962-07-31, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Here, Ill give you an example: A. wrote to tell me, If you know how to get in touch with Agni,1 let me know, because I need him! I gave the natural reply, that whats needed is aspiration for progress, a will for perfection, and that you kindle the fire by burning your desires. I told him this in a way I call very concrete. Well, he answered (laughing), Ohhh! Youre living in abstractions. Thats not what I want, I want a living goda personality, you see!
Thats how people are.
0 1962-08-04, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Some days later, Mother added: "This shows that you belong to the same 'line of descent,' and that your intellectual activity is enough. You see, I insist that my mind remain still ... so (laughing) yours does the work!"
Mother comments on this passage in the conversation of August 11.
0 1962-08-08, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It came and tried to descend. I said absolutely nothing, but Sri Aurobindo knew (though he never mentioned anything to me, he had seen it), and he simply (gesture) did what had to be done, brushed it aside. I hadnt thought about it for more than ten years: with that gesture of his, it had vanished.
Now it has come back.
--
And I have noticed that now. You see, the body used to be like a little child, complaining when things werent right; it wouldnt revolt, but it moaned. But this time its only reaction was, Why am I not transformed? Why am I not transformed? I want to be transformed, I want to be transformed. Not with words, because there was nothing mental about it, but simply with a kind of tension the tension you feel when the door to the psychic being is shut and you push, push, push to get to the other side. The same thing, the same kind of tension: pushing, pushing, pushing towards what? I dont know. We call it the transformation because we dont know what it isif we did know, it would mean we had already begun to realize it. Theres a faint impression of what that state could be (but its very, very faint). And theres this feeling of tension, of pushingpleading and imploring. That was the bodys only reaction this time, nothing else, not even any sorrow. Because at one time something like fifty years agoit used to say, Why do I deserve this? and similar stupidities; thats been gone for more than fifty years. Then for a long while after, something disordered, unharmonious or nasty could bring me sorrow; thats gone too. But thats recent, it disappeared with the experience of April 13. And now: transformation, transformation, transformation; thats the only idea left, the only will.
(silence)
0 1962-08-11, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Its a sort of reply to something I am translating in The Synthesis of Yoga. You know, there are these three aspects that must always be kept united in ones consciousness: jiva (the individual), Shakti, and Ishwara (the Supreme). He gives a wonderful description of how we have all three together in a kind of inner hierarchy. So while reading that (as I translate I have all the experiences, they come spontaneously), I kept saying to myself, No, that jiva hampers me; that jiva hems me in! Its not natural to me. Whats natural to me is its probably Mahashakti. There is always that sense of creative Power, and of the Lord. The infinite, marvelous, innumerable joy of the Lord, you see, which is so intermingled with the Poweryou can sense the presence of the Lord, yet you cannot distinguish or differentiate between the two. Its all a delectable play. So to introduce the individual, the jiva, into this spoils everything, makes everything so small!
I wanted to put all this into my sentence.
--
And the Light that descends. You see, its as though as though I am SEEING that eternal, universal, immense, wondrous Vibration from without, from within, from above, from below, from everywhere at the same time. And at a certain place theres something so fine, delicate, of a silver-gray (something thats spread all around the world, all around the creation), and THE Vibration passes through it and it becomes ideas. Not ideas, something higher than ideas the origin of ideas. Things take form. And the sieve is fine, fine, fine, so fine and tenuous, and its everywhere (gesture enveloping the earth).
And its there all the time! I saw it the other day, I am seeing it nowit seems to be a permanent feature. And its the origin of all intellectual formulations (those closest to the Truth, of course, with no distortion). Very interesting.
--
Its difficult to describe. It lasted from around midnight until eight oclock.
And it was all happening naturally, spontaneously; you couldnt even say it was situated somewhere: it was just happening. Its another its another way of being.
--
Its going all right, mon petit. And I am more and more certain that I have given you your true name (this seems to be coming out of the blue, but). The more I come into conscious contact with the future (because it is right HERE, you see, just as we are pushing to go forward, it is pushing to descend), well its good. Its good.
Dont worrydont worry; simply let yourself BE what you truly are.
0 1962-08-14, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(Satprem did not keep any record of his questions at the beginning of the following conversation, nor does he exactly remember the circumstances that led to it. It seems that he wanted to write a letter to X, his former Tantric guru, or meet him, to explain what had happened and, in fact, to tell X that he still held him in deepest affection, despite external circumstances and Satprem's outward break with him.)
One must never go back; one must always go forward.
0 1962-08-18, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Mon petit, we had a meditation here on the 15th, at ten oclock.2 At a quarter to ten, I was sitting here at the table in a total silence. And then I cant say Sri Aurobindo came, for he is always here, but he manifested in a special way. Concretely, in the subtle physical, he became so tall that, sitting cross-legged as they do here, he covered the whole compoundeven extended a bit beyond it! He was literally sitting upon the compound; so to the extent that the people meditating were not closed, they were all inside him. He was sitting like that (not on their heads!), and I could feel (I was here, you see) the FRICTION of his presence in the subtle physicalan utterly physical friction! And I saw him (as you well know, I am not shut up in here [the body]), I saw him sitting there, very tall and perfectly proportioned; and then he started gently, gently descendingthis descent is what caused the frictiongently, very gently, so as not to give people a shock. Then he settled there and stayed for a little more than half an hour, a few minutes more, like that, absolutely still, but fully concentrated on all the people they were inside him.
I was sitting here smiling, almost almost laughing, really; you could feel him like that everywhere (Mother touches her whole body), everywhere. And with such peace! Such peace, such force, such power. And a sense of eternity, immensity, and absoluteness. A sense of absoluteness, as if all were fulfilled, so to speak, and one lived in Eternity.
--
I think some people must have felt itmaybe they didnt fully understand, since they lack total vision, but they may have felt as if he were descending into them. Because in the afternoon, when everything had returned to normal (he is always here of course, but not that way! He is always here), there was a kind of wave of regret passing through the atmosphere, like something saying, Oh, this beautiful thing has come to an end! Oh, now August 15 is over, this beautiful thing is over. But it was like I described, something so more than concrete, I dont know how to express it, it was there was a sense of absoluteness about it.
I have often seen him in his supramental light; he has come very often (he used to come when I went to the balcony; sometimes he was above the Samadhi; he came very often). But that first of all, the proportions were enormoussitting down, I tell you, he extended beyond the compound; and he materialized in a way that could be PHYSICALLY felt. And there was such confidence, such joy, such certainty; everything was so sure, so altogether certain, as though all had been accomplished. There was none of that anguish, that tension for things to get done.
0 1962-08-31, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Its not sleep, its a kind of peace that descends. It can begin as drowsiness, but it changes into a sort of inner immobilityimmobility of the Spirit. The body too becomes quiet, quiet, quiet, very still; and from there, if nothing disturbs you, you flow into a sense of eternity. Its a wonderful experience. The real sense of Eternity: everything stops, and then NOTHING. And if you have the gift of vision (its not necessary, but if you do), you see it all grow white and luminousall white. But that may well not happen because its its something youre born with.
All the cells open up and become conscious of their eternity.
0 1962-09-05, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Meaning you never escape your destiny! Although its not official here, theres still a wide margin of freedom.
Thats the first thing I told Sri Aurobindo: This was the resolution made by my psychic being (my psychic being was in a certain person I know who). And when I left, it declared categorically: I want NO MORE of this!
0 1962-09-08, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
He came yesterday. The meditation was good in that it was very concentrated and silent, and he had an ascent like this (gesture of an upright triangle), with a point that was supreme (for him) and a descent of light. Very calm, very silent.
The doctor says he has the flumaybe he gave it to me I dont know.
--
I am quite aware that all this must seem confusing; I can feel how inadequate the words and expression are for describing the experience. When you want to be literary, you say its a reversal of consciousness but it isnt! Thats just literature.
Although perhaps it means we are drawing closer to the knowledge of the thingby knowledge I mean the power to change it, of course. If you have power over something, its because you know it; knowing a thing means being able to create it, or change it, to make it last or cease to bein other words it is Power. Thats what knowing means. All the rest is explanations the mind gives to itself. And I can feel that something (something! Well, what Sri Aurobindo calls the Lord of Yoga: the part of the Supreme concerned with terrestrial evolution) is leading me towards the discovery of that Power that Knowledgenaturally by the only possible means: experience. And with great care, for I can feel that.
--
They are more like seeds, capacities destined to develop later in the new race, and the seed has been made to grow and bloom as an example, before the thing happens on a larger scalethey are examples.
Theres another man whose disciples say has been living for a hundred and fifty-four years; Ill show you his photo (Mother goes to look for the photo). D. goes to see him twice a month, and yesterday or the day before, he said to D., You know, the greatest miracle I know of is having been able to gather more than a thousand people together for a spiritual undertaking! (Mother laughs wholeheartedly) Its funny! One thousand two hundred people is the Ashrams official figure. Having been able to draw together a group of more than one thousand two hundred people for a spiritual undertaking!
0 1962-09-15, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Prayers and Meditations came to me, you knowit was dictated each time. I would write at the end of my concentration, and it didnt pass through the mind, it just came and it obviously came from someone interested in beautiful form. I used to keep it under lock and key so nobody would see it. But when I came here Sri Aurobindo asked about it, so I showed him a few pages and then he wanted to see the rest. Otherwise I would have always kept it locked away. I destroyed whatever was leftthere were five thick volumes in which I had written every single day (there was some repetition, of course): the outcome of my concentrations. So I chose which parts would be published (Sri Aurobindo helped in the choice), copied them out, and then I cut the pages up and had the rest burned.
Thats a shame!
0 1962-09-18, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Une pauvre traduction pour les sens des cratures
De Cela qui jamais dpasse lide et la parole,
0 1962-09-22, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Thats the essential failing of the old yogic system: things go quite nicely on the level where they practice yoga, but as soon as they descend, theyre worse than everyone else!
***
0 1962-09-26, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
As far as Ive understood, the Indian tradition has embraced everything that came from the first Emanations, since all the gods of destruction, of unconsciousness and of suffering are included in its pantheon.
In the end, I think its up to each one to name what he wants the way he wants. Thats how I have always felt. Even in Hindu tradition it is written: Man is chattel for the gods; beware of the gods.
--
Ive had conscious contacts with all the beings of the tradition Theon made known to me, and with all the beings described in Indian tradition; in fact, as far as I know Ive had contacts with all the deities of all the religions. Theres a gradation (gesture of levels). These beings are found all the way from there are even some in the vital; in the mental realm, man has deified many things: he has readily made gods out of whatever didnt seem exactly like him. If you are eclectic, you can have contacts with them all. And they all have their own reality and existence.
This region just overlooks the earth and the mind (including the very highest mind). But evolution I mean TERRESTRIAL evolution, with its particular rhythm which is more condensed, more concentrated and, you could say, more focused than universal evolution as a wholethis terrestrial evolution has, with the human species, created a kind of higher intellectuality capable of passing through the overmental region, the region of the gods, and reaching a higher Principle directly.
0 1962-10-06, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Sri Aurobindo is speaking here of knowledge through inspiration or revelation. In other words, when something suddenly descends and illuminates your understanding: all of a sudden, you feel you know a certain thing for the very first time, because it comes to you directly from the domain of Light, the domain of true knowledge, and it comes with all its innate force of truthit illuminates you. And indeed, when youve just received it, it seems as though nothing could resist that Light. And if you make sure to let it work in you, it brings about as much transformation as it can in its own domain.
It is a fairly common experience. When it occurs, and for some time afterwards (not very long), everything seems to organize itself quite naturally around that Light. Then, little by little, it blends with all the rest. The intellectual awareness of it remains, formulated in one way or another that much is left but its like an empty husk. It no longer has the driving force that transforms all movements of the being in the image of that Light. And this is what Sri Aurobindo means: the world moves fast, the Lord moves ever forward, and all that remains is but a trail He leaves in His wake: it no longer has the same instantaneous and almighty force it had at the MOMENT He projected it into the world.
--
Its the same when I look at people: I dont see them as they see themselves, I see them with the vibration of all the forces that are in them and pass through them, and quite frequently with the supreme Vibration of the Presence. And thats why my physical sight is not exactly failing, but changing in character, for the physical precision that normal physical sight gives is its false for me. Instinctively (not because I think of it that way), thats how it Is. So I no longer have the precision of a vision designed to see just the superficial crust of things.
But this doesnt keep me from seeing physicallyalthough, yes, it does at times make me unsure of whos in front of me, because I see a vibration that is sometimes very similar, almost identical, in three or four people (who arent all necessarily present, but anyway). So theres a slight external difference theres a very great external difference in the way the form looks, of course, but in the combination of vibrations theres only a slight external difference. And so sometimes I am not sure, I dont know whether its this person or that one; thats why I often ask, Whos there? Its not that I dont see anything, but I dont see in the same way.
0 1962-10-12, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
So many things, so many things. Human beings have made an appalling tragedy out of death. And I saw, with all these recent experiences, I saw how many, many poor human beings have been destroyed by the very people they loved the most! Under the pretext that they were dead.
People give them a very bad time.
destroyed?
Yes, burned. Or shut up in a box without air and lightwhile FULLY CONSCIOUS. And just because they can no longer express themselves, people say they are dead. They dont waste any time declaring them dead! But they are conscious. They are conscious. Imagine someone who can no longer speak or moveaccording to human laws, he is dead. He is dead but he is conscious. He is conscious, so he sees the people around him: some of them are weeping, some of them are if hes a bit clairvoyant, he also sees that some of them are rejoicing. And then he sees himself put into a box, sees the lid nailed down, shutting him in: Ah, now its all over, theyre going to cover me with earth! Or hes taken over there [to the cremation ground], and then its fire in the mouthFULLY conscious.
--
Of course, when we start thinking of all the zones, all the universal planes of consciousness, and that Hes way, way, way up there at the end of all that, well then it does become very far, very far indeed! (Mother laughs) But if we think of Him as being everywhere, in everything, that He is everything, that only our way of perceiving things keeps us from seeing and feeling Him, and all we have to do is this (Mother turns her hands inwards) a movement like this, a movement like that (Mother turns her hands inwards and outwards in turn), then it gets to be quite concrete: you go like this (outward gesture) and everything becomes artificialhard, dry, false, deceptive, artificial; you go like that (inward gesture) and all is vast, tranquil, luminous, peaceful, immense, joyous. And its merely this or that (Mother turns her hands inwards and outwards in turn). How? Where? It cant be described, but it is solelysolelya movement of consciousness, nothing else. A movement of consciousness. And the difference between the true and the false consciousness becomes more and more precise and at the same time THIN: you dont need to do great things to get out of it. Before, there used to be a feeling of living WITHIN something and that a great effort of interiorization, concentration, absorption was needed to get out of it; but now I feel its something one accepts (Mother puts her hand in front of her face like a screen), something like a thin little rind, very hardmalleable, but very hard, very dry, very thin, very thin something like a mask you put on then you go like this (gesture), and its gone.
I foresee a time when it will no longer be necessary to be aware of the mask: the mask will be so thin that we can see and feel and act through it, and it wont be necessary to put it back on.
--
But this Presence in all things. It is a Vibrationa Vibration containing everything. A Vibration containing a sort of infinite power, infinite joy, infinite peace, and immensity, IMMENSITY, IMMENSITY: its boundless. But it is solely a Vibration, it doesnt. Oh, Lord! It cant be thought, so it cant be described. If you think as soon as you start thinking, its the same old mess again. Thats why you cant say anything.
Indeed, He is far because you think He is far. If you could just, you know, think of Him being right here, like this (gesture close to the face), touching you if you could feel this. Its not like touching another person, its not like that. Its not something foreign, external, coming to you from outsideno! Its everywhere.
0 1962-10-20, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Sri Aurobindo has brought (how to describe it?) something like this (a small piece of furniture next to Mother, with shelves where she stacks letters and papers), but with all kinds of little like little racks, and on each rack there were a number of written notes, which looked like pieces of information. It was just this high, and he set it down next to you. He just now set it down beside you, saying it was for you.
All kinds of things. On each rack lay a number of notes on a particular subject. There were three rows at each level, one like that, one like that, one like that (on the upper part; I couldnt see the bottom because it was behind you). And the sheets of paper were lifting up slightly to show me there were several of them.
0 1962-10-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
When I play I generally hear what I am playing. Its hard to say. Its not just an ordinary sound, its a combination of sounds, and its not no, its true, its not the same sound but something like the essence of that sound. But for instance, I have a sort of feeling that what I am hearing should be expressed by a large orchestra. I SEE it, you know, I see something like large orchestras around me, on my right, on my leftand I am supposed to transcribe it on a harmonium! Its like an orchestra made up of groups of musicians, with each group expressing one part of that combination, which is a much more complete sound than the ear can perceive. Thats what it is. Its not something you can express just by humming a little tune, but a whole body of musical vibrations. And as I hear it, I see how it should be expressed. I see large orchestras around me. But its another kind of vision; its not the precise vision of the physical eye, but something very its how consciousness sees. How can I describe it! All you can say is that its not our normal kind of vision, or hearing, either.
Its quite a total knowledge, which inclu des a vision, an awareness of the combination of sounds and how they should be expressed.
0 1962-10-30, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There are different LINES of approach. It all ultimately depends on ones aspiration or dominant preoccupation, or on what one needs for ones work. Its as if one went STRAIGHT where one wants to go, ignoring everything else, taking no notice of itpassing through it if necessary, but without paying attention to it. And the need to classify, well it comes afterwards, if one feels like describing things, but it isnt necessary.
Its like that famous Nirvanayou can find it behind everything. Theres a psychic nirvana, a mental nirvana, even a vital nirvana. I think I already told you about the experience I had with Tagore in Japan. Tagore always used to say that as soon as he started meditating he entered Nirvana, and he asked me to meditate with him. We sat together in meditation. I was expecting to make a very steep ascent, but he simply went into his MIND, and there (what I do, you see, is tune in to the person I am meditating with, identify with him thats how I know what happens). Well, he started meditating, and everything quite rapidly came to a halt, became absolutely immobile (this he did very well), and from there he sort of fell backwards, and it was Nothingness. And he could remain in that state indefinitely! We did in fact stay like that for a rather long time; I dont remember how long, three quarters of an hour or an hour, but anyway it was long enough. I was keeping alert the whole time to see if, by chance, he would go on into something else, but there he stayedhe stayed there nice and calm, without stirring. Then he came back, his mind started up again, and that was that.
0 1962-11-07, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(Mother again speaks of the experience of SAT or pure Existence in the background of consciousness, and describes the movement of consciousness needed to enter that state:)
Its somewhat similar to collecting ones thoughts. Its part concentration, part interiorization, and both togetherlike drawing back, but without movement.
After a while, it becomes almost automatic; I do it hundreds of times a day. Its difficult to describe, because the description makes it too concrete. But its a drawing back, an interiorizationa self-gathering. But all those words seem dense, heavy; too material, too heavy. Yet its a very concrete sensation, very concrete, which immediately brings about a kind of stabilizationeverything stops. Everything stops, to the point where even a vibration of pain is stopped, it doesnt exist any more. But when you leave this state, back it comes again. It gets cured only when you persist for some time; otherwise the two might continue to coexist.
The most superficial way of putting it is: to take a step back. But its not that, of course.
0 1962-11-14, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(Satprem reads a passage from his manuscript describing the relation between the subconscient and the supraconscient, in which he says: "One cannot be healed unless one goes down to the very bottom; and one cannot go down to the very bottom unless one goes up to the very heights.")
Its getting interesting. Its the formulationnot the theory, not the explanation (its more than intellectual), but the literary expression of what Ive been experiencing all these nights. Not only at night, in the daytime too.
0 1962-11-17, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yet people have fought beforepeople have fought everywhere, havent they? Since the last war they have never stopped fighting in one place or another: in Africa, in Asia, everywhere. Theyve been constantly fighting. There was always something, constantly. This whole Algerian story terrible things went on there; and all the trouble in the Congo and so forthbattles everywhere. But I dont know why (its not that I wasnt concerned with these events, they were in my consciousness), but this time two things have happened: a greater Power has descended (something very concrete, almost tangible), a great Power has descended, has been especially sent; and also a certain receptivityeverywhere, even in the Chinese (I dont mean locally: its all over the world). Is it because, materially, theres some anxiety at the idea of? If a new world war starts, its obviously going to be something unspeakable, frightful, frightfulwhole civilizations will be swallowed up. It will put a stop to life on earth in a terrible way. Is that what made people? Has this awakened some aspiration? Possibly. Theres clearly a greater receptivity. I see this from the fact that whenever the Will spreads out (Mother makes a gesture of emanation), well, it has a more concrete and more immediate effect.
The other conflicts were really very superficial, like minor ailmentsskin diseases! Superficial things. There were some appalling horrors, utterly repugnant things, too, everywhere (I remember what happened in Algeria, I was kept informed and I knew what took place: horrible things) and yet they seemed yes, they seemed like skin diseases of the earth! They were very superficial. But then suddenly up there [in Nefa and Ladakh], oh, it became something different.
--
Thats what X saw: that they have been the ruin of the country. And so he said, These men have ruined the country and they shall be destroyed. Thats what was in his head and thats why he is opening the door to this dramawhich would mean a frightful destruction.
Its true that they deserve it! They have acted perfectly stupidly all along. Out of ambition, vanity, all sorts of things, but especially out of stupidity and total lack of understandinga blind vision, reaching no farther than their noses.
Dont keep this. I dont want to keep political memories. I havent said anything about the world situation for a long time, because I dont want people to know (its not that I dont know, but I dont want it known). If I ever get involved in politicsif things take a positive turn, that is I will start saying what I know in 1967. But not before.
--
The first of these dreams was a revolutionary movement which would create a free and united India. India today is free but she has not achieved unity. () The old communal division into Hindus and Muslims seems now to have hardened into a permanent political division of the country. It is to be hoped that this settled fact will not be accepted as settled for ever or as anything more than a temporary expedient. For if it lasts, India may be seriously weakened, even crippled: civil strife may remain always possible, possible even a new invasion and foreign conquest. Indias internal development and prosperity may be impeded, her position among the nations weakened, her destiny impaired or even frustrated. This must not be; the partition must go.8 ()
Sri Aurobindo
0 1962-11-20, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
They have bombs in America and Russia (China hasnt boasted about it, but they may have some too) that can destroy a whole cityone is more than enough, you dont need two. The Russians in particular: a single bomb and a whole city, even the size of London: vroom! Nothing left. (Thats the theory, but still, theres always something true in it.) We saw what happened to Hiroshima, it was pretty bad. Well, if that was ten, then what they have now is a thousand thats the proportion.
In other words, theyve turned all their intelligence towards destruction.
Some say, It will deter them from fighting. But thats childish!
--
Theres no longer any hope that a human being can give protection by his own powerit doesnt work any more. If the Lord is protecting you, fine, nothing will happen to you. But as far as knowing what Hes going to decide. For if He deci des upon such a destruction, it means the earth truly needs itotherwise He wouldnt decide it.
Anyway, its best not to think about itwell see soon enough. Well see from this world here or from a more subtle one (laughing), thats all.
--
Unless. Once, you know, when Sri Aurobindo was still here, I saw. But it was just a vision, and lots of visions come (this was especially true at that time) as possibilities formed in a given world and descending towards the terrestrial manifestation. They come for me to give them the support of my consent, if I find them interesting. So there are all kinds of things! And most of them get sorted out at that point. But anyway, I had a vision in which Pondicherry was completely engulfed by a bomb (in those days there werent such powerful bombsso the vision was partly premonitory). So if that happens! (Mother laughs) As a result of the bombing, I was trapped in a radioactive area (it had been buried underground but not flatteneda kind of cave had been formed), where I stayed for two thousand years.
I woke up after two thousand years with a rejuvenated body. It was a very amusing little story. And I say vision, but you dont watch these things like a movie: you LIVE them. I somehow extricated myself from that sort of sealed grotto, and where Pondicherry had once stood (it had been completely razed), I came upon some people working. They were VERY DIFFERENT, and quite bizarre. I myself must have looked funny, with a kind of costume totally alien to their epoch. (My clothing had also survived the destruction the whole thing was right out of a storybook!) So of course I attracted some curiosity and they tried to make me understand. Ah, yes I know one of them said (I understood them because I could understand their thoughtsthose two thousand years had enabled me to read peoples minds), and they led me to a very old sage, a wise old fellow. I spoke to him and he began leafing through all kinds of books (he had many, many books), and suddenly he exclaimed, Ah, French! An ancient language, you see (Mother laughs).
It was very funny. I told the story to Sri Aurobindo, and he had a good laugh.
0 1962-11-23, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And just last time, when I told you I wasnt very well, it happened during the night, and it was the equivalent of what you write here, but purely material, in the body. In your book you describe it rather psychologically, like a phenomenon of consciousness, that is; but here its a phenomenon of the cells. So hurry to bring me the triumph! (Mother laughs) I was telling myself just this morning how exhausting it was, this perpetual battleoh, what a battle.
So when you write of the victory, perhaps I too will do a victory dance!
0 1962-11-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And the charm, the charm of the substance enveloping the cube was inexpressible! Something I cant describe. There were no contrasts, no the whole thing was in total harmony. Of course, to say it resembled tulle is a crude comparisona very, very fine tulle, and gray. Do you know that little wild grass Ive named Humility?4
Yes, its silver, silver-gray.
--
I can see I am still (and God knows how long it will last!) in that transitional period Sri Aurobindo describes in The Yoga of Self-Perfection. A period when the true thing is getting established but the tail of the old thing trails behind, mixes in and colors things. Well, its an old habit, and it takes SUCH a long time to go away.
The habit of not understanding something unless it can be mentally explained is disastrous, for instance. This feeling we have that we dont understand something unless we can explain it thats really disastrous. That half-hours experience was something absolute, you see, not for one second was there any concern to know what was going on (naturally!); it was absolute. And only when the time was up and I had to come out of it did I start wondering, What happened? What does it mean? It wasnt even that pronounced. Its simply an old habit, what we call understanding.
--
And the Power! The Power was tremendous. And I could see in detail everything it was doing, but in another way. I can say it was a certainty (I knew exactly what it was doing), but I couldnt have described it with the words we use here.
(silence)
0 1962-12-04, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
This body is very conscious, it was BORN conscious, and throughout those years its consciousness went on growing, perfecting itself, proliferating, as it were; this was its concern, its joy. And with Sri Aurobindo, there was such peaceful certitude, there were no more problems, no more difficulties: the future was opening up, luminous and peaceful and certain. Nothing, nothing, no words can describe what a collapse it was for the body when Sri Aurobindo left.
Its only because Sri Aurobindos conscious will entered into itleft one body and entered the other. I was standing facing his body, you know, and I materially felt the friction as his will entered into me (his knowledge and his will): You will accomplish my Work. He said to this body: You will accomplish my Work. Its the one thing that kept me alive.
Apart from that. Theres nothing, no physical destruction I can think of, comparable to that collapse.
It took me twelve days to get out of ittwelve days during which I didnt speak a single word.
--
In the true movement, you feel the Absolute and Eternity physically. How? Its impossible to describe, but thats how it is. And the minute you get out of That, when you fall back even slightly into the ordinary movement, the old movement, theres a feeling of ABSOLUTE uncertainty! Uncertainty at every second. It would be impossible for an ordinary human being to live in that consciousness, with that sense of total and absolute uncertainty, of total and absolute impermanenceits no longer a destruction,1 but its not yet an ascending transformation. Absolute instability. It doesnt last more than a fraction of a secondjust enough time to become aware of oneself, thats all.
If the other movement werent getting more and more established, it would be unbearable, as they say in English.
The quality of those two vibrations (which are still superimposed, so one can be aware of them both) is in describable. One is a kind of fragmentation, an infinite fragmentation and absolute instability: like a powdery cloud of atoms in ceaseless movement; and the other is eternal immobility, just as I described it the other day: an infinite Immensity of absolute Light.
The consciousness is still going from one to the other.
0 1962-12-08, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
You said something mysterious the other day [December 4] concerning Sri Aurobindos departure. You were speaking of the sense of impermanence you had, of total uncertainty, and you said, Its no longer a destruction, but its not yet an ascending transformation.
It was a real physical destruction; so I am saying its not that any more, but its not yet the realization.
(silence)
0 1962-12-12, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And simultaneously, an old formation I hadnt seen for a long time fell on me again: distaste for writing, desire to leave, things like that.
Yes, there was a hostile onslaught.
0 1962-12-15, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
According to Theon, you know, the world has been created and destroyedcreation and pralayasix times. And each time, a particular attribute was manifested, but since that attri bute couldnt reach fulfillment, the world was swallowed up again. Now its the seventh time, and the attri bute is Equilibrium. And when Equilibrium is established, there will be uninterrupted progresswith no disequilibrium, naturally: that is, a deathless state, with no disintegration.
(Satprem continues the reading:)
--
I am the one who designed Sri Aurobindos, and I adapted it from this one.
Look, they made the central square very elongated. The one done here is more correct: Pavitra made all the si des equal. But the one for the Cosmic Review was elongated, with the lotus in the center.
0 1962-12-19, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The next day it wasnt like that any more; the work had been done the day before, in one minute (it gets done very quickly, but in a very intense and violent way). I had purposely gone to the room the previous evening, to set things in order, and so the next day it was better, the work was already done. Then I sat down at the organ it was much better than I expected. It was as if a formation were waiting, and as soon as I sat down it descended. Oh, a marvelous musical joy! I didnt have to look and when I wasnt looking, I saw everything from within: all the notes, my hands, everything, with eyes closed. And so it descended I was very happy. I must have played for a good twenty minutes.
After twenty minutes, something said, Thats enough. And I saw that it was enough for the body, that it shouldnt exert itself further the formation withdrew. I couldnt have played a single note more! It was very interesting. And I realized that, truly, the will that moves my body isnt at all the same as before. Previously, it was the will of the being that had been placed into and formed in this body (it wasnt personal but still very individual). While now its not that: its a Will somewhere (somewhere which is everywhere and in everything), a Will somewhere that deci des, and when it says Do, the body does; when it says No, nothing in the world could make the body move. And so, that conscious something somewhere, which is like an intermediary between the higher Will and the body and its outer life, has to tell the body, This is necessary. The body never protests, because that which speaks knows VERY WELL. It says, This is necessary, all right, the body does it. But when it says, Thats enough, now, the body stops. Because (how can I express it?) FOR THE BODY, the Most High knows better than the intermediary. In regard to circumstances and the vision of the work to be done, its all one; but for taking care of and educating the body, That (gesture on high) knows best. The intermediary doesnt really care (!), but when That says do, its done; inished, and its finished. Its very interesting.
0 1963-01-12, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
You see, Sri Aurobindo was explaining something to me, but the explanation wasn't like a theory: it's immediately translated into movements of matter, that is, movements of forms and forces. So I was listening (I was listening to him, we were talking), and I turned my head away to follow the demonstration of forces, of what he said; naturally it led to another movement which was the consequence, and then I described what I was seeing. When I began describing the consequence, I received a reply (it was a sort of dialogue between us, but without different voices and all the things we know physically), but the quality of the vibration was different, it had become ... instead of being supramental, if you like, it had become sattvic [moral], the reply was sattvic. In other words, a diminution, a limitation. I was surprised so I turned back again, and instead of finding Sri Aurobindo, I saw the doctor, with his hair very neatoh, a super-doctor, you know! But it was he, I mean at his best. So immediately I thought, "Here we are! Here is how things get more and more diminishedyes, diminished, altered, altering also physical appearanceshere is how the Lord changes all His physical appearances." Oh, it was really funny, because it was a practical and precise little illustration. But then there was immediately the feeling that everything, the whole universe is like this! That's how all forms are changed.
So now you see!
0 1963-01-18, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I think that as the Supramental descends, the subtle physical will have a greater and greater action on earth, because it is the world where the new creation will be formed before it descends, before it becomes absolutely visible and concrete.
I often have a sense that it would take only a very tiny thingwhich is hard to definea very tiny movement of materialization to make this new creation concrete to us as we are. And it is probablyit will probably be formed completely in that subtle world before it materializes.
0 1963-01-30, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The way it comes is both exclusive and positiveits really interesting. Theres none of the minds ceaseless wavering, Is this better? Is that better? Should it be like this? Should it be like that? Noit is LIKE THIS (Mother brings down her hand in a gesture of imperative descent). And then in certain cases (without anything to do with the literary angle or even the sound of the wordnei ther sound nor anything, but meaning), Sri Aurobindo himself suggests a word. Its as if he were telling me, Isnt this better French, tell me?(!)
I am simply the recording machine.
--
For the slow footsteps of far destiny
Approaching through huge distances of Time,
0 1963-02-15, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(Regarding a passage in "Savitri" in which Sri Aurobindo describes the universe as a play between He and She. "This whole wide world is only he and she," He, the Supreme in love with her, her servitor; She, the creative Force.)
As one too great for him he worships her;
He adores her as his regent of desire,
He yields to her as the mover of his will,
--
I had asked Sujata for two copies, but then I realized it wasnt at all necessary. I told you I would give it to A. for him to read, and when A. came, I showed him one or two of the latest [Agenda conversations] typed by Sujata and soon lost any desire to try again.
Well, when do I see you next?
0 1963-02-19, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Thats what I always tell those who criticize the government: You deserve to be put in the place of the Prime Minister, or any other minister, with decisions to make; and with the responsibility placed on you, suppose you suddenly had to decide on things of which you know nothingyoud soon see what fun it is! You see, to govern properly, you have to be you have to be a sage! You should have a universal vision and be above all personal questions. There is not onenot one.
Some are sluggish (theyre the best, because I can make them do what I want them to do); theyre like automatons, so you can get something out of them. But unfortunately they think they are they have the sense of their responsibility, so they think they are very superior then its terrible!
0 1963-02-21, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The boon that we have asked from the Supreme is the greatest that the Earth can ask from the Highest, the change that is most difficult to realise, the most exacting in its conditions. It is nothing less than the descent of the supreme Truth and Power into Matter, the supramental established in the material plane and consciousness and the material world and an integral transformation down to the very principle of Matter. Only a supreme Grace can effect this miracle.
The supreme Power has descended into the most material consciousness but it has stood there behind the density of the physical veil, demanding before manifestation, before its great open workings can begin, that the conditions of the supreme Grace shall be there, real and effective.
A total surrender, an exclusive self-opening to the divine influence, a constant and integral choice of the Truth and rejection of the falsehood, these are the only conditions made. But these must be fulfilled entirely, without reserve, without any evasion or presence, simply and sincerely down to the most physical consciousness and its workings.
0 1963-02-23, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The little girl struggled as if she were drowning, you know. She went everywheretook refuge at the School, took refuge in Pavitras room, begged G. in tears to intervene. M. was absolutely desperate. Everybody is trying to dissuade them, everybody is scandalizedits their right! Brandishing their right, they grab the girl and squeeze her: Youll love us, or else!
And they think they will succeed!
0 1963-03-13, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Once more arose the great destroying Voice:
Across the fruitless labour of the worlds
--
All still was darkness dread and desolate;
There was no change nor any hope of change.
0 1963-03-16, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Ive seen this phenomenon very often. For example, the impression people have in ordinary life (few are conscious of it, but everyone has the impression, I know that) of a destiny or a Fate or a will hanging over them, a set of circumstances (it doesnt matter what you call it), something that weighs you down and tries to manifest through you. But weighing you down. That was the first of my experiences: emerging above (very long ago, at the beginning of the century). And it was that kind of experience: one second, but suddenly, oh, you find yourself above it all. I remember because at the time I told the people I knew (maybe I was already looking after the Cosmic Review, it was the beginning, or maybe just before), I told them: There is a state in which you are free to decide what you will do; when you say, I want this, it means it will happen. That was the impression I lived with. Instead of thinking Id like to do this, Id like that to happen, with the sense of the decision being left to Fate, the impression that you are above and you make the decision: things WILL BE like that, things WILL BE like that.
Thats my memory of the beginning of the century.
--
Later, Mother added: "That is to say, an extremely powerful experience but which doesn't stay, except in its effect: becoming another person, changing position. I wouldn't be able to describe the experience, but my position changed. That's what happened every time. It's very different from the other experiences: they stay, you understand them fully, they don't fade away but they don't have the power to change your person. They are two types of experience, both very useful, but very different from each other. The experiences of the very powerful but very brief type are those that, afterwards, are expressed in the form of the other type. The other experiences are those that ESTABLISH in a certain domain of consciousness that first experience which had come only as a shocka compelling but transient shock. And sometimes it may take longformerly it took years between the first experience and the resulting ones; now the interval seems a bit shorter, though it still takes some time. And it follows the same course every time: something comes, has the necessary effect, and then the consciousness seems to go to sleep on that point, as if a silent incubation period were neededyou stop dealing actively with the subjectand it reemerges at the end of a long curve, but as if it had been digested, assimilated, and you were now ready for the full experience."
With a sort of incomprehensible comprehension, we are reminded of the words of the Vedic Rishis: "He uncovered the two worlds, eternal and in ONE nest."
0 1963-03-19, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
In the last movement, it descends and envelops your head.
That blue force, that blue light, I had known it for a long time, but without defining it: it was a power of consciousnessa POWERthe power of consciousness in Matter. I knew exactly what it was when I came in contact with X1 (with the Swami first, then with X). Since then, I had been able to tell without doubt whether someone I was seeing was practicing Tantrism or not. And now when I see a photograph, its the same thing! Yesterday, for example, I was shown somebodys photo, and I had the same impression of force; I didnt say anything, I asked what the man did (maybe he is a businessman in life, I dont remember), but then they gave me a letter from him in which he wrote that for a few years he had been trying to follow the Tantric method of yogait amused me! It was plain in his photo!
0 1963-03-27, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Then I thought: now, Sri Aurobindo, its quite clear; for him, the goal was Perfection. Perfection not in the sense of a summit but of an all-inclusive totality in which everything is represented, has a place. And I saw that this Perfection would comemust comein stages. He announced something the realization of which will stretch over thousands of years. So it must come in stages. And I saw that what I find essential, indispensable (everything is there, everything finds a place, yet there is a kind of anguishnot a personal anguish but a terrestrial anguish), is Security. A need for Securitywhatever you attempt, whatever you seek, even Love, even Perfection, it needs Security. Nothing can be achieved with the feeling that all opposing forces can come and sweep everything away. We must find the point where nothing can be touched or destroyed or halted. Therefore, its Security, the very essence of Security. So I wrote:
Sri Aurobindo promised Perfection
--
The nations of the world legitimize that destructive madness of the arms race by saying its a way to prevent destruction through fear thats futile. As an argument, its futile, but thats the way they think. Its part of that same thirst or need for Security: nothing can be achieved except in peace, nothing can be arrived at except in peace, nothing can be realized except in peacewe need peace, individually, collectively, globally. So lets make horrifying weapons of destruction so that men will be so frightened that nothing will happenhow childish! But thats the current state of mind. It is still one of those in English they say device, a ploy (its not a ploy, its a meansbetween ploy and means) to urge the human race on towards its evolutionary goal. And for that, we must catch hold of the Divine: its a means of catching hold of the Divine. For there is nothingnothing, nothing exists from the point of view of Security, except the Supreme. If we ARE the Supreme, that is to say, the supreme Consciousness, supreme Power, supreme Existence, then there is Securityoutside of that, there is none. Because everything is in perpetual motion. What exists at one moment in time, as Sri Aurobindo says (time is an unbroken succession of moments), what exists at a given moment no longer exists the next, so theres no security. Its the same experience, seen from another angle, as that of Buddha, who said there was no permanence. And basically, the Rishis saw only from the angle of human existence, thats why they were after Immortality. It all boils down to the same thing.
(Mother remains in contemplation)
0 1963-04-16, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
From a deeper standpoint, what connection should I have with X? If I go there, there will be some interchange despite everything, wont there?
He may influence you, because you were under his influence in the beginning. He does have the power to influence youto enclose you in his own atmosphere. But he cannot keep you imprisoned! Thats not possible, you are beyond his grasp! So, if (how can I put it?) if you can learn to receive his force without being enclosed in his thought, thats very good. Or rather to receive his force without being impressed or influenced by his thought the thought is very narrow, but the force is very strong.
0 1963-04-22, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I have just written a word to Mother to tell her that if I could, I would catch the first train home. When I arrived here, I got a horrible impression as never before, almost a panic. Everything was so terribly void and far away. Probably I have grown hypersensitive. If I were not afraid of yielding to that impression and if it werent rude to X, I would take noon train today. The new guest house is beyond description1: cement walls enclosed within cement walls; the plan is so wonderful that not a whiff of air can blow in here, nor can one see a single blade of grass. There are magnificent wrought-iron railings and openwork cement designs, but not even the most basic amenities. I absolutely refused to enter that sarcophagus, so they put me up in an adjoining house purchased by X and used as a garage. Its unspeakably filthy. It didnt even occur to them to offer me a mat. Finally they brought a bench for me to sleep on, which I refused. So much for the material conditions. I hope the body will get better. As soon as I can decently leave, I shall weigh anchor.
Signed: Satprem
0 1963-04-29, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
On Friday X gave me a new mantra, then the next day he told me that during his puja he received an order to the effect that this mantra was not suitable and he should give me another one. I am supposed to receive the new mantra tomorrow, Tuesday. X said this mantra would be final and with effect. I do hope so, for I would really like to be through with all these changes and preparations and delays, to have the Word, as the Rishis said, and fix myself on it. I would like not to return to Rameshwaram any more and to be through with these dillydallyings. Anyway, Ill have to wait for another three days after receiving the new mantra, so that X can see whether it has the desired effect. So I cannot leave until Thursday.
I hope this time it will be final and everything will settle into the true Rhythm.
0 1963-05-03, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But from a much more external viewpoint, the night that followed your arrival there3 was dreadful, in the sense that the consciousness was put in contact with all the most negative and destructive things: like an entire world, yes, of denial, of refusal too, of opposition, of battle, of ill will the visual appearance was chalk-white, you know, the soulless white of chalk, everything was like that, even black was chalk-white (!). Something absolutely stripped of all soul life. Horrible. I dont know, I would have to go back years and years and years to find anything like it in my memory. And I was right in it, it was forced on me; it was as if I were made to stay there and watch it all.
I forgot: immediately afterwards I swept everything clean. Except for what Ive just said, I dont remember what it was I dont remember what it was because I did NOT want it to exist. But it was horrible. And in the morning, there was such a painful impression! So I thought something was wrong over there, and when I received your letter, I understood. But it isnt limited to one person or another, one place or another: it seems to evoke a universal way of being, thats what troubles me. As if an entire way of being which Ive been resisting for for, well, more than seventy years at any rate, which Ive been keeping at arms length so it may no longer exist in a real way, as if it were all forced on me. Like a thing from a past that no longer has the right to exist.
0 1963-05-15, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
As an experience, its absolutely certain: when you come in touch with eternal Love, supreme Love, the first, immediate (what should I say?) perception or sensation (its not an understanding, it is much more concrete) is that even the most enlightened, kneaded, prepared material consciousness is INCAPABLE of manifesting That! The first impression is that sort of incapacity. Then comes the experience of something manifesting a type of not exactly cruelty, because its not cruelty as we conceive it; but in the totality of circumstances, there is a vibration which is felt as a certain intensity of refusal of love as it is manifested here thats exactly the thing: something in the material world refuses the manifestation of love as it exists at present (I dont refer to the ordinary world but to the consciousness at its present highest). Its an experience, I am speaking of something that has taken place. Then the part of the consciousness that has been touched by that opposition calls out directly to Loves origin WITH AN INTENSITY IT COULD NOT HAVE HAD WITHOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE REFUSAL. Limits are broken, a flood descends which could NOT manifest before, and something is expressed which was not expressed before.
That happened not very long ago.
0 1963-05-18, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I dont recall ever having felt the Force in such a way. Its something (how can I put it?) more material than Matter. Thats it. It didnt come as a descent of light, no: it was like a massan AVALANCHE.
White! White, white, sparkling, dazzling. You couldnt look at it. Thats why I looked down, I couldnt look at it.
0 1963-05-25, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But then, what about the Holy Spirit and its descent?
Yes, Ive often wondered.
--
But what does the Holy Spirit descending with tongues of fire on Pentecost represent? Those tongues of fire dont look like a cosmic symbol, do they?
But I dont see how the Christ could be cosmic? He is very clearly the god within man.
Why? Does the Holy Spirit descend everywhere, or in a limited way?
Tradition has it that it descends on Pentecost.
Whats the meaning of Pentecost?
--
At that time, the twelve Apostles were gathered and the Holy Spirit descended upon them, in the form of tongues of fire.
But the Immanent doesnt descend, mon petit!
Well, of course! But how can the Cosmic (assuming the Holy Spirit to be a cosmic symbol) descend too? And in the form of tongues of fire?
Maybe were trying to stretch the parallel too far, maybe its something else.
--
It might rather be part of the announcement (not the Annunciation!), the heralding of the new worldof a new world. The Holy Spirit would then be the world that will descend after the human world.
I say this because Thon always announced the coming of the new world. He didnt speak of Supermind, he said: There shall be new heavens and a new earth. That was his explanation. So it may be that, originally, in the origin of the Catholic religion, they too had the idea that after forty days (it could also mean forty centuries, maybe forty eons or forty ages), there would come the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames that would enter those who are ready. I find this explanation more logical.
Of course, the bird, the white dove they speak of, could be the Universal. Maybe it would manifest openly as a result of that descent?
Basically we always try to cut things into small pieces. It evidently means the manifestation, a new manifestation of the Divine, which takes place some time after the Divine in man is resuscitated. The Divine in man is resuscitated, thats very clear: it has become conscious. And after a time (4 is the manifestation, 10 is the perfection of the manifestation), the perfection of the manifestation of God resuscitated in man allows that universal or cosmic thing to manifest. If you take it like that, it makes sense.
That universal thing might be a collective transformation. A transformation thats no longer exclusively individual the descent of the Holy Spirit into the collectivity?
I had been told that even in the College of Cardinals, things were only suggested, and each one was left to understand more or less deeply, according to his capacity. Its quite likely. But who has kept the tradition intact? We cant say.
0 1963-06-19, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yet the way I seek is ever descending, descending, descendingnever to the heights. Its always descending, descending, descending.
Oh! When will it be over? I dont know.
0 1963-06-22, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There is somewhere a sort of capacity for acute discernment, which can very easily turn into a censor (its still there; probably it serves a purpose), and thats what demands certainties. The major part of the being says, Its not my concern. I am here because You want me to be here. If You didnt want me to be here, I wouldnt be here. There is nothing like an attachment or a desire. (That went away quite a while ago! But now it has become an almost cellular condition.) And since You keep me here, it means I am doing something here, and if I am doing something here, thats all I need, thats why You keep me here. It comes full circle, of course.
How long will it last? Thats not my concern. Maybe something would be a bit frightened if it were told the time it will take (we cant say, we cant foresee the reaction). So its best to keep quiet. But theres nothing of interest. Nothing to make interesting literaturenothing, nothing at all absolutely nothing.
0 1963-07-06, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But it isnt total Victory, no. It isnt the power of transformation. The other day, I told you, I think, that one of my present activities consisted of a sort of conscious concentration on one person or another, one thing or another, to obtain the desired result. For years on end, the Will and Force acted from above, and the outer conscious being [of Mother] wasnt concerned with anything further, knowing that it would only make things more complicated instead of helping them, and that the Force left to itself, directly under the supreme Impulsion, worked things out far better and far more accurately. But over these last months, there have come a will and a tendency to make the material being [of Mother] participate consciously in the details of execution. It has a kind of passive obedience, and so, once that was willed [the need for Mothers material intervention], it began to happen. There was a case recently, with a very good friend of the Ashram, a man with an important position who has been very, very useful. He had to be operated on (I wont tell the whole story, it would be too long); we received two or three wires a day, I followed the thing step by step. There was a very powerful force of destructionit was a very grim battle and there was a will to keep him, because in this body he had been very useful, he was still very useful and could still be very useful. He had a great faith, a great trust, and he was conscious (his consciousness was very sufficiently developed: I saw him constantly and constantly he came to me). He fell into a butchers hands; anyway, it was a wretched thing. Still, even though everyone expected him to leave his body, he held on and was constantly saying (we were kept informed by his son) and feeling that it was I who was keeping him alive. I could even see what they should have done and constantly I sent the formation, the thought, But THIS is what should be done, insistently. Finally they caught my thought, but I think (I cant say, I dont know the details, the small material details), I think probably they didnt do exactly what they should have thats why I say they must have been butchers. Thus they performed three operations in a row, and after undergoing all that, he came to me (before also he used to come very oftenthey said he was drowsy all the time, in a semi-coma, but thats not it: he was living inwardly), he came to me, totally conscious as usual, but he said, I am afraid my body is irretrievably ruined, and if I survive now, instead of this body being a help and a tool of work, it will be a hindrance, an impediment, a source of difficulty, so I have come to ask to be freed I prefer to enter a new body. I answered immediately, But as you are, you are useful, very useful; the position you occupy makes you very useful; you are totally conscious; it would be good if you could recover. He listened, again insisted a little, I too insisted, and then he left.
The next morning, he was much better. I was hoping he had decided to stay, but we were without news for about twenty-four hours, till suddenly we were told he had stopped breathing and was being given oxygen. And then he left.
0 1963-07-10, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Only little by little, little by little do you learn the true functioning; because those things that are added on and spoil everything arent deliberate additions arising from a desire or impatience or overenthusiasmits none of that, its due to a habit. Its quite simply a habit. That is, the psychological element is purified and doesnt interfere: its just a habit. The SUBSTANCE has the habit of doing things that way, and so it does them that way. So it must be taught not to stir, to keep quiet, so that when the Vibration comes, the something that always rushes forward doesnt do so.
Its very interesting.
0 1963-07-20, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The body had based its sort of sense of good health on a certain number of vibrations, and whenever those vibrations were present, it felt in good health; when something came and disturbed them, it felt that it was about to fall ill or that it was ill, depending on the intensity. All that has changed now: those basic vibrations have simply been removed, they no longer exist; the vibrations on which the body based its sense of good or ill healthremoved. They are replaced by something else, and something else of such a nature that good health and illness have lost all meaning! Now, there is the sense of an established harmony among the cells, increasingly established among the cells, which represents the right functioning, whatever that may be: its no longer a question of a stomach or a heart or this or that. And the slightest thing that comes and disturbs that harmony is VERY painful, but at the same time there is the knowledge of what to do to reestablish the harmony instantly; and if the harmony is reestablished, the functioning isnt affected. But if out of curiosity, for instance (its a mental illness in humans), you start asking yourself, Whats that? What effect will it have? Whats going to happen? (what the body calls the desire to learn), if you are unlucky enough to be that way, you can be sure (laughing) that youll have something very unpleasant which, according to the doctor (according to ignoramuses), becomes an illness or disrupts the bodys functioning. While if you dont have that unhealthy curiosity and, on the contrary, will the harmony not to be disrupted, you only have to, we could say poetically, bring one drop of the Lord on the troubled spot for everything to be fine again.
The body is unable to know things in the way it did formerly.
--
Thats too muchagitation is too much, its rather a lack of rest. Not agitation really, but something that lacks the rest of certainty. I constantly catch my cells being like that. Naturally I react, but for them its a very normal state: always straining after the next moment, never the quietude of the present moment. The result (the words I use give a very concrete character to something rather fluid), the result is the feeling that you have to bear or endure, and the haste to get out of that enduring, along with the hope (a very faint and flimsy hope) that the next moment will be better. Thats how it is from moment to moment, from moment to moment, from moment to moment. As soon as the Consciousness comes (gesture of descent) and concentrates, as soon as I bring the Consciousness into the present moment, everything becomes quiet, immobile, eternal. But if I am not CONSTANTLY attentive, the other condition [of restlessness] comes almost as a subconsciousness: its always there. And VERY tiringit must be one of the most important sources of fatigue in mankind. Especially here (Mother touches her forehead and temples), its very tiring. Only when you can live in the eternity of the present minute does it all stopeverything becomes white, immobile, calm, everything is fine.
But it means constant vigilanceconstant. Its infinitely more difficult than when one worked even in the vital; in the vital, its nothing, its childs play in comparison. But here, phew! Because, you see, in the mind or the vital, its all movements of organization, of action, of choice, of decisionits very easy to decide, to rule! But that cellular tension is there EVERY SECOND: its the activity inherent in material existence. Its only when you go into samadhi that it stops. That is, when outwardly you are in trance. Then it stops.
0 1963-07-24, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
About the present civilisation, it is not this which has to be saved; it is the world that has to be saved and that will surely be done, though it may not be so easily or so soon as some wish or imagine or in the way that they imagine. The present must surely change, but whether by a destruction or a new construction on the basis of a greater Truth, is the issue. The Mother has left (Mother laughs) this question hanging and I can only do the same.
(September 1945)
--
But it has always seemed to me impossible unless there comes as its support and foundation and guard the Divine Truthwhat I call the supramental and its Divine Power. Otherwise Love itself blinded by the confusions of this present consciousness may stumble in its human receptacles and, even otherwise, may find itself unrecognised, rejected or rapidly degenerating and lost in the frailty of mans inferior nature. But when it comes in the divine truth and power, Divine Love descends first as something transcendent and universal and out of that transcendence and universality it applies itself to persons according to the Divine Truth and Will, creating a vaster, greater, purer personal love than any the human mind or heart can now imagine. It is when one has felt this descent that one can be really an instrument for the birth and action of the Divine Love in the world.
(XXIII.753)
--
The importance of the body is obvious; it is because he has developed or been given a body and brain capable of receiving and serving a progressive mental illumination that man has risen above the animal. Equally, it can only be by developing a body or at least a functioning of the physical instrument capable of receiving and serving a still higher illumination that he will rise above himself and realise, not merely in thought and in his internal being but in life, a perfectly divine manhood. Otherwise either the promise of Life is cancelled, its meaning annulled and earthly being can only realise Sachchidananda by abolishing itself, by shedding from it mind, life and body and returning to the pure Infinite, or else man is not the divine instrument, there is a destined limit to the consciously progressive power which distinguishes him from all other terrestrial existences and as he has replaced them in the front of things, so another must eventually replace him and assume his heritage.
(The Life Divine, XVIII.231)
--
No, barely two or three days ago, someone asked me a similar question: Will there be another great destruction or not? Those are things one ought not to talk about.2
(silence)
0 1963-07-27, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
To tell the truth, people burn the dead in that way to destroy the vital, I am sure of it. The idea is not to have any ghosts.
A little before his death he had asked me for a new name. He had nearly died twice, but he was saved (the doctors were sure he would die), he was saved by his faith; he had such faith, such an irresistible faith that twice it pulled him through: he was paralyzed, couldnt see any more, it was terrible. And twice all his faculties came back (his eyes werent too good, but anyway he could talk and move around). The third time, he wanted to get completely cured, because he was a businessman and had made a resolve to earn ten lakhs1 of rupees for me (he had already given me four lakhs in the past, but he wanted to give me ten). So he absolutely wanted to live, but as he found himself not too well (he was quite deteriorated!), he called for one of those kaviraj (you know, those self-styled doctors), who finished him off: he couldnt eat or sleep any more. And the doctor went on telling him, Youre much better! While the poor man was sitting up all night in a chair. Finally, he was rushed to the hospital and died there. And the day of his death, about an hour later, I was informed that his son (hes not a child, hes a man) absolutely HAD to see me immediately. It was the time when I dont see people, but I said all right (I felt there was something to it), I said all right and went to receive him. It was 11:00 A.M. (I think he died at 9:30 A.M.). I go there (I dont remember if it was in the morning or early in the afternoon, anyhow it was very soon after his death), I sit down, the son is ushered in, and along with him comes a small boy, no taller than this (gesture), all golden, joyous, alive, happy! And he rushed to me. He stayed like that, leaning against me, quite still. And how he laughed! How happy he was!
--
What the supramental will do the mind cannot foresee or lay down. The mind is ignorance seeking for the Truth, the supramental by its very definition is the Truth-Consciousness, Truth in possession of itself and fulfilling itself by its own power. In a supramental world imperfection and disharmony are bound to disappear. But what we propose just now is not to make the earth a supramental world but to bring down the supramental as a power and established consciousness in the midst of the restto let it work there and fulfill itself as Mind descended into Life and Matter and has worked as a Power there to fulfill itself in the midst of the rest. This will be enough to change the world and to change Nature by breaking down her present limits. But what, how, by what degrees it will do it, is a thing that ought not to be said nowwhen the Light is there, the Light will itself do its workwhen the supramental Will stands on earth, that Will will decide. It will establish a perfection, a harmony, a Truth-creation for the rest, well, it will be the rest that is all.
(XXII.13)
--
to let it work there and fulfill itself as Mind descended into Life and Matter and has worked as a Power there to fulfill itself in the midst of the rest.
If we follow that (Mother draws a great curve towards the future), he foresaw that one day the earth would be a supramental creation the entire earth entirely changed. That means a long, long way ahead. In other words, later, among the supramental race, they will say, Thats all very well, but its only the beginning. Now, the entire earth has to become a supramental manifestation. Just as from mental man the supramental being was born, so also from the supramental being will be born the powers that will transform the earth.
--
(Laughing) Well let the supramental descend and do its work!
(silence)
0 1963-07-31, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
A few days later, Mother added: "There is also something I left unsaid: an urgent need to cease all material activity in order to enable the body to receive fullyas fully as possible the divine Force that will replace what has been removed. There is something absolute about that need: to stay totally still, quiet, letting the Force descendpermeate the body, rather. All physical activity must be suspended in some way, and if the material organization, or the habit, tends to make it continue, a kind of material impossibility, an excessive fatigue or discomfort, comes to oblige the body to keep still. Because simply to remove or change what shouldn't be there won't do; it must also be replaced by what SHOULD be there. Otherwise, there would be a dwindling or gradual reduction of substance resulting in dissolution. What has been sublimated or removed has to be replaced by something which is the true Vibration, the one that comes straight from the Supreme."
Mother did not eat anything this morning.
0 1963-08-03, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Do you still have a sensation of descent? A descent of force?
Me, I no longer feel that it descends: its there (gesture around and everywhere). That is to say, I dont feel something descending, its there all the timewhat about you?
I rarely feel a descent, except at times when the Force rushes downward, from below the shoulders downward.
Yes, in the body.
Then I feel a descent.
It [the meditation] was very good, very still and luminous, without any disturbance. Very good.
0 1963-08-07, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I saw in France a patch of garden: it was surrounded by walls, and the land had belonged to someone who took great care of it and had planted flowers in it. It was fairly large, but completely enclosed. That person died. It was in southern France. He died and no one (there were no heirs), no one looked after the garden: it was closed and stayed that way. I saw that garden I dont remember now, but certainly more than five years afterwards. It probably happened that the lock broke little by little and came loose; I pushed the door open and entered. Ive never seen anything more beautiful! There werent any paths any more, there was no order any more, nothing but confusion but what confusion! Ive never seen anything more beautiful. I stood there in a sort of ecstasy. There is a book (I think its Le Paradou by Zola) in which there is a description of a fairy placeit was just like that: all the flowers and plants entangled, in an absolutely disorderly growth, but with a harmony of another type, a much vaster, much stronger harmony.
It was extraordinarily beautiful.
--
You know, a naturalist once said that if man didnt destroy the ant, the ant would drive man off the earth.
Well, thats the point!
--
The side of reason (of a gradual and harmonious progress as conceived by the mind) wants peace and quiet, order and harmony among nations. The mortar and pestle method, which mixes everything together to bring out something more potent, a richer combination of the elements, demands destruction. Both are there in the atmosphere, like this (Mother looks). And it would seemit would seem that the decision hasnt been made yet, as Sri Aurobindo says [it is still hanging].
Yet at present, it would seem that my work is more a work of pacification (I mean the universal work).
--
Its precisely in response to those things that there is a call (gesture of the Force descending into the body) for purification: so the thing may be set right, so there may be at least one drop of Truth somewhere. So then it gives a jolt.
The extent of that deformation is so considerable, so generalized that usually you dont notice it, either in yourself or in othersyou notice it only when it assumes glaring proportions, but then hypocrisy, for example.
0 1963-08-10, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The last experience (which Ive had these last few days), in which apparently there was a hitch (it wasnt really one) was a sort of demonstration. I told you what it was, you remember: its like a purge of all the vibrations that are false vibrations, that arent the pure and simple response to the supreme Influence (all that in the cells still responds to the vibrations of falsehood, either from habit or from the people around or the food takenfifty thousand things). Then, with an aspiration or a decision, almost a prayer for purification coming from the body, something happens which, naturally, upsets the balance; the imbalance in turn brings about a general discomfort. The form discomfort takes is habitually the same: first, pains and all kinds of sensations I need not describe; if that state goes on developing, if it is allowed to assume its full proportions, it results in the past it resulted in a faint. But this time, I followed the process for about two hours from the moment I got up: the struggle between the new balance, the new Influence that was getting established, and the resistance of all the existing elements forced to go away. That created a sort of conflict. The consciousness remained very clear the consciousness of the BODY remained very clear, very quiet, perfectly trusting. So for two hours I was able to follow the process (while going on with all my usual activities, without changing anything), until I felt, or rather was told sufficiently clearly that the Lord wanted my body to be completely immobile for a while so that He might complete His work. But I am not all alone: there are other people here to help me and watch over everything (but I dont say or explain anything to them, those are things I dont talk about I dont say what goes on, I dont say anything), so I sat there wondering, Is it really and truly indispensable? (Mother laughs) Then I felt the Lord exert a little more pressure, which heightened the intensity of the conflict, so that I had all the signs of fainting I understood (!) I stood up, let my body moan a little to make it plain it didnt feel too well (!) and I stretched out. Then I was immobile, and in that immobility, I saw the work that was being donea work that cannot be done if you go on moving about. I saw the work. It took nearly half an hour; in half an hour it was over. Which means there is really there is a fact I cannot doubt, even if all the surrounding thoughts and forces contradict it: I cannot doubt that the consciousness is increasing more and more the consciousness in the body. It is growing more and more precise, luminous, exactQUIETvery peaceful. Yet very conscious of a TREMENDOUS battle against millennial habits. Do you follow?
When it was over, I saw that even physically, bodily, there is a strength: the result is an increased strength. A very clearly increased strength.
--
This body was built for that purpose, because I remember very well that when the war the First World Warstarted and I offered my body up in sacrifice to the Lord so that the war would not be in vain, every part of my body, one after another (Mother touches her legs, her arms etc.), or sometimes the same part several times over, represented a battlefield: I could see it, I could feel it, I LIVED it. Every time it was it was very strange, I had only to sit quietly and watch: I would see here, there, there, the whole thing in my body, all that was going on. And while it went on, I would put the concentration of the divine Force there, so that allall that pain, all that suffering, everythingwould hasten the preparation of the earth and the descent of the Force. And that went on consciously throughout the war.
The body was built for that purpose.
0 1963-08-21, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
These days, I dont know whether it has come to the last battle, but it has descended very deep into the cells worst-lit realm: what still belongs most to the world of Unconsciousness and Inertia and is most foreign to the divine Presence. It is, so to say, the primal substance that was first used by Life, and it has a sort of inability to feel, to experience a reason for that life.
In fact, its something I had never experienced [that absence of meaning]; even in my earliest childhood, when there was no development, I always had a perception (not a mentalized but a vibrant perception) of a Power behind all things which is the Raison dtre of all thingsa Power, a Force, a kind of warmth.
--
Yesterday, it was like that almost the whole day long. But all at once something came (I dont know from where or how neither from above nor from within nor from I dont know): there is only ONE Raison dtre, only ONE Reality, only ONE Life, and there is nothing other than THAT. It was THAT (not in the least mentally, there was no intellectual formulation, nothing), it was Something that was Light (far more than Light), Power (far more than power), Omnipotence (far more than Omnipotence), and also an intensity of sweetness, of warmth, of plenitudeall that togetheralong with that Something, which naturally words cannot describe. And That came all at once, like that, when there was such a frightful state of anguish, because it was nothinga nothing you couldnt get out of. There was no way of getting out of that nothing, because it was nothing.
You know, all those who seek Nirvana, all their disgust of life, all that is almost enjoyable in comparison! Thats not it. Thats not it, it was a thousand times, a million times worse. It was nothing, and because it was nothing it was impossible to get out of itthere was no no solution.
--
And it corresponds to that descent into the pit.
See Agenda III, May 24, 1962, p. 159
0 1963-08-28, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
[76Europe pri des herself on her practical and scientific organisation and efficiency. I am waiting till her organisation is perfect; then a child shall destroy her.]
I didnt want to comment on it. But its true.
0 1963-09-04, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Basically, their idea of the divine is something thats at their service that knows a little more than you do (!) and is at your service to give you whatever you desire.
***
0 1963-09-07, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But for instance, I told you I spoke with the Pope for quite a long time the day of his election, and the conversation was abruptly interrupted by a reaction he had. (It was really a mental conversation we were having: I spoke, he replied, I heard his reply I dont know whether he was conscious of something probably not, but anyway; it wasnt at all a formation of my own mind because I received quite unexpected replies.) But the conversation was interrupted abruptly by a reaction he had when I told him that God is everywhere and in all things; that everything is He; and then a great Force came down into me and I added, Even when you descend into Hell, He is there too.
Then everything stopped dead.
0 1963-09-18, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Immediately, there came a massive descent, and everything was blissful I said to myself, Lord, its up to You. Its up to You to have me here, its up to You to have me act; I dont act, You are the one who acts. The result is up to You, but as far as I can see, if I am allowed to see, I dont find that logical!
Then I was told (but not with words), very clearly and very strongly, that it was a transition necessary for your integral development INTEGRAL. And that I shouldnt worry.
0 1963-09-28, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It would be as Buddha said: its attachment or desire that keeps you here, otherwise theres no reason for you to stay here.
It would be as Buddha said: its attachment or desire that keeps you here, otherwise theres no reason for you to stay here.
(Satprem protests wordlessly)
0 1963-10-03, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(Then Mother translates Sri Aurobindos letter on the descent of Love, on which she has already commented on July 24, and she adds this comment:)
If divine Love were to descend first, before divine Truth, certain beings with a special power or receptivity might draw it into themselves, personally, and then all those wrong impulses might occur.1 But if this divine Love descends only in the Truth, in the Truth-Consciousness, it will enter someone only if that person is ready to receive it. Without a preparation of Truth, there might occur a very powerful attraction of elements unable to keep that Love in its purity; whereas if the preparation of Truth has been done, with that preparation, It will CHOOSE, in order to manifest, the persons, the individualities, who are ready.
***
0 1963-10-16, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And always that question of age In everybody, everybody, without even their noticing it, there is always in the background (for the slightest thing, at the slightest opportunity), always the idea of old age, of going downhill, of decrepitude. And it comes a thousand times a day! (Mother laughs) So here too, I say to the Lord, Listen, am I really going downhill? Then He shows me one or two things in a dazzling light. It happens to me off and onnot oftenwhen the avalanche has been considerable enough; then there is a bedazzlement of Light and Power, sometimes of such a formidable Power that you get the feeling that if you were to wield it what would happen? For instance, if I simply come into contact with a malicious ill will (thats rare), an urge or a desire to harm, I do this (Mother pinches the vibration between her fingers), I do this (but it corresponds to an inner action: its a Power that acts together with a white Light, absolutely white, you know, intolerant of anything but the perfectly white), and almost instantly, in the person in whom the movement of ill will resulted in a partial possession of the vital: an attack of nerves or (what do they call it?) a vital collapse or a nervous collapse, very tangible. So naturally, you curb all movements and you watch it all, perfectly quiet, with the eternal Smile. But its as if to show me: herehere is the potentiality (!) Only there is no Order to wield it, except now and then just to see.
(silence)
0 1963-10-19, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yesterday (this is an example I give you, but in all three domains its similar), yesterday it was a question of money. The question of money, for more than twelve years, has been a problemgrowing increasingly acute because the expenses are increasing fantastically while the income is decreasing! (laughing) So the two things together make the problem very acute. It results in things to be paid but no money, which means that the cashier (the poor cashier, it does him a lot of good from the yogic viewpoint: he has acquired a calm that he never had before! But still he is the one who has to stand the greatest tension), the cashier spends money and I cannot reimburse him. Very well. And then its not for me to run about, look for money, arrange things, discuss with people, of course, that wouldnt be proper (!), and those who do it for me have in them a rather sizable amount of tamas, which I cannot yet shake up. Anyway, yesterday they proposed something absurd to me (I dont want to go into the details, it doesnt matter), but their proposal was absurd and put me in a totally unacceptable situation. In other words, it might have brought a legal action against me, I might have been summoned before the court, anyway, all kinds of inadmissible thingsnot that I care personally, but theyre inadmissible. When they proposed their idea to me, I looked and saw it was silly; I was very quiet, when, suddenly, there came into me a Power (I told you it happens now and then) like this (massive gesture). When it comes, you feel as though you could destroy destroy everything with it you see, its too awesome for the present state of the earth. So I answered very quietly that it was unacceptable, I said why, and I returned the paper. Then something COMPELLED me to add: If I am here, it is not because of any necessity or obligation; it is not a necessity from the past, not a karma, not any obligation, any attraction, any attachment, but only, solely and absolutely because of the Lords Grace. I am here because He keeps me here, and when He no longer keeps me here, when He considers I am not to stay any longer, I wont stay. And I added (I was speaking in English), As for me (as for me [gesture upward] that is, not this [gesture to the body]), as for Me, I consider that the world isnt ready: its way of responding inwardly and outwardly, even visibly in those around me, proves that the world isnt ready something must happen for it to be ready. Or else it will take QUITE SOME TIME for it to be prepared. Its all the same to me: whether it is ready or not makes no difference. And everything could collapse, Icouldntcareless. And with what force I said that! My arm rose, my fist banged on the tablemon petit, I thought I was going to break everything!
I was watching the scene, thinking, Why the devil am I made to do this?! These people are, apparently, quite devoted, quite surrendered and intimate enough not to be afraid. (I dont know what effect it had on them, but it must have had some effect.) As soon as it was over, I started working again, looking into affairs and so on. Afterwards, once I was alone, I wondered, Why did that come into me? And in the evening, I had the solution to the situation: its here (Mother takes an envelope on the table). I didnt even look at it (Mother opens the envelope and looks at the amount of a check).
--
So how many HOW MANY consciousnesses must there be, what quantity, if we may say (intensity, there is: off and on it shines like stars), what is the mass of consciousnesses necessary to enable this new world to come down on earth? Otherwise, what would happen to it? It would be swallowed up. Like in 60, when I saw the supramental forces descend (mon petit, what a sight it was! They were descending, it was stupendous, marvelous; they were like torrents, you felt as though they were going to inundate everything), and then, from below, there rose up great, dark blue masses like this, and they went vroof! (gesture of engulfing) And everything was swallowed up.
So it would be the same thing PHYSICALLY, you understand.
0 1963-11-04, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
95Only by perfect renunciation of desire or by perfect satisfaction of desire can the utter embrace of God be experienced, for in both ways the essential precondition is effected,the desire perishes.
Its impossible to satisfy desire perfectlyits something. impossible. And to renounce desire too: you renounce one desire and get another one. Therefore, both ways are relatively impossiblewhats possible is to enter a condition in which there is no desire.
(long silence)
Its too bad I cant keep note of all the experiences that come to me, because just these last few days, for a period of time, there was a very clear perception of the true functioning, which is the expression of the supreme Will and operates spontaneously, naturally and automatically through the individual instrument; I could even say (because the mind is quiet, it keeps quiet): through the body. And the perception of the moment when this expression of the divine Will is blurred, distorted by the introduction of a desire, the special vibration of desire, which has a quality all of its own and which comes for many apparent reasons: its not only a thirst for something, a need for something or an attachment to something; that same vibration can be triggered by the fact that, for instance, the will expressed seems to be (or at any rate has been taken for) the expression of the supreme Will, but there has been a confusion between the immediate action which was evidently the expression of the supreme Will, and the result which was to follow from that actionits a very common mistake. People are used to thinking that when they want a particular thing, thats what should come; because their vision is too shorttoo short and too limited, not an overall vision which would make them see that that particular vibration is necessary to trigger a number of other vibrations, and that its the TOTALITY of them all that will have an effect, which isnt the immediate effect of the vibration that was sent out. I dont know whether this is clear, but its a constant experience.
If I gave an example, it would be easier to grasp, but it must be a lived example, otherwise its worthless.
But during that period of time, I made a study and observation of the phenomenon: how the vibration of desire is added to the vibration of the Will sent out by the Supreme (for small everyday acts). And with the vision from above (if you take care, of course, to remain conscious of that vision from above), you see how the vibration sent out was exactly the one sent out by the Supreme, but instead of producing the immediate result which the superficial consciousness expected, it was intended to trigger a whole set of vibrations in order to reach another result, more distant and more complete. I am not talking of big things or terrestrial actions, I am talking of very small things in life. For example, you tell someone, Give me this, and the person, instead of giving that, misunderstands and gives something else; so if you dont take care to keep an overall vision, a certain vibration may occur, say of impatience, or a dissatisfaction, along with the feeling that the Lords vibration is neither understood nor received. Well, its that little ADDED vibration of impatience (or, in fact, of incomprehension of what happens), its that feeling of a lack of receptivity or response that has the quality of desirewe cant call it a desire, but its the same kind of vibration. And thats what comes and complicates things. If you have the complete, exact vision, you know that Give me this will produce a result different from the immediate one and that that other result will bring about yet another, which is exactly what should be. I dont know whether I am making myself clear, its a bit complicated! But it gave me the key to the difference in quality between the vibration of the Will and the vibration of desire. And together with this, the possibility of doing away with that vibration of desire through a broader and more total visionbroader, more total, more distant, that is to say, the vision of a vaster totality.
I am insisting on this, because it eliminates all moral elements. It eliminates the derogatory notion of desire. The vision increasingly eliminates all those notions of good and evil, good and bad, inferior and superior, and so forth. There is only what I might almost call a difference of vibratory qualityquality still evokes the idea of superiority and inferiority, it isnt quality, not intensity either, I dont know the scientific term they use to distinguish one vibration from another, but thats it.
But then, the remarkable thing is that the Vibration (what we could call the quality of the vibration that comes from the Lord) is constructive: it constructs, it is peaceful and luminous; while that other vibration, of desire and such like, complicates, destroys and confuses, it twists thingsconfuses and distorts them, twists them. And it takes away the light: it makes for a dullness, which can be intensified with violent movements to the point of very dark shadows. But even where there is no passion, where passion doesnt interfere, thats how it is. You see, the physical reality has become nothing but a field of vibrations mingling together and, unfortunately, clashing together too, in conflict with one another. And the clash, the conflict, is the climax of that kind of turmoil, of disorder and confusion created by certain vibrations, which are ultimately vibrations of ignorance (they come because people dont know, they are vibrations of ignorance), and are too small, too narrow, too limitedtoo short. The problem isnt seen from a psychological standpoint at all: its nothing but vibrations.
If we look at it from a psychological standpoint On the mental plane, its very easy; on the vital plane, its not too difficult; on the physical plane, its a little heavier, because desires are passed off as needs. But there too, there has been a field of experience these last few days: the study of medical and scientific conceptions on the bodys makeup, its needs, and whats good or bad for it. And all this, in its essence, again boils down to the same question of vibrations. It was quite interesting: there was an appearance (because all things as the ordinary consciousness sees them are nothing but appearances), there was an appearance of food poisoning (mushrooms that are thought to have been bad). It was the object of a particular study to find out whether there was something absolute about the poisoning, or whether it was relative, that is, based on ignorance, a wrong reaction and the absence of the true Vibration. And the conclusion was as follows: its a question of proportion between the amount, the sum of the vibrations that belong to the Supreme, and the sum of the vibrations that still belong to darkness. Depending on the proportion, the poisoning appears as something concrete, real, or else as something that can be eliminated, in other words, that doesnt resist the influence of the Vibration of Truth. And it was very interesting, because, immediately, as soon as the consciousness became aware of the cause of the trouble in the bodys functioning (the consciousness perceived where it came from and what it was), immediately the observation began, with the idea: Lets see what happens. First set the body perfectly at rest with the certainty (which is always there) that nothing happens except by the Lords Will and that the effect too is the Lords Will, all the consequences are the Lords Will, and consequently one should be very still. So the body is very still: untroubled, not agitated, it doesnt vibrate, nothingvery still. Once this is achieved, to what extent are the effects unavoidable? Because a certain quantity of matter that contained an element unfavorable to the bodys elements and life was absorbed, what is the proportion between the favorable and the unfavorable elements, or between the favorable and the unfavorable vibrations? And I saw very clearly: the proportion varies according to the amount of cells in the body that are under the direct Influence, that respond to the supreme Vibration alone, and the amount of other cells that still belong to the ordinary way of vibrating. It was very clear, because I could see all the possibilities, from the ordinary mass [of cells], which is completely upset by that intrusion and where you have to fight with all the ordinary methods to get rid of the un desirable element, to the totality of the cellular response to the supreme Force, which renders the intrusion perfectly innocuous. But this is still a dream for tomorrowwere on the way. But the proportion has become rather favorable (I cant say all-powerful, far from it, but rather favorable), so that the consequences of the ill-being didnt last very long and the damage was, so to say, minimal.
But all the experiences nowadays, one after the otherall the PHYSICAL experiences, of the bodypoint to the same conclusion: everything depends on the proportion between the elements that respond exclusively to the Supremes Influence, the half-and-half elements, on the road to transformation, and the elements that still follow Matters old vibratory process. The latter appear to be decreasing in number, to a great extent, but there are still enough of them to bring about unpleasant effects or unpleasant reactionsthings that are untransformed, that still belong to ordinary life. But all problems, whether psychological or purely material or chemical, all problems boil down to this: they are nothing but questions of vibrations. And there is the perception of that totality of vibrations and of what we could call (in a very rough and approximative way) the difference between the constructive and the destructive vibrations. We can say (to put it very simply) that all the vibrations that come from the One and express Oneness are constructive, while all the complications of the ordinary, separative consciousness lead to destruction.
(long silence)
It is always said that it is desire that creates difficulties (and indeed it is so). desire may be simply something added on to a vibration of will. It is also said that nothing happens except by the supreme Will, so how can the two things be true at the same time and be combined? And its because this problem was being posed that I found The will (when it is the one Will, the supreme Will expressing itself) is direct, immediate, there cannot be any obstacles; so all that delays, blocks, complicates, or even brings about failure, is NECESSARILY the mixture of desire.
This can be seen for everything. Take, for example, an external field of action, in the outer world and with outer things (naturally, to say it is outer is simply to put yourself in a false position), but, for example, if in the highest consciousness, the Truth-Consciousness, you tell someone, Go (I am giving one example among millions), Go and see so-and-so, tell him this to obtain that. If the person is receptive, inwardly immobile and surrendered, he goes, sees the other person, tells him, and the thing happenswithout the SLIGHTEST complication, just like that. If the person has an active mental consciousness, doesnt have total faith and has all the mixture of ego and ignorance, he sees the difficulties, sees the problems to be resolved, sees all the complicationsnaturally, they all occur! So according to the proportion (everything is a question of proportion, always), according to the proportion, it creates complications, it takes time, the thing is delayed, or, a little worse, it is distorted, it doesnt occur exactly as it should, it is changed, diminished, distorted, or, finally, it doesnt occur at allthere are many, many degrees, but it all belongs to the domain of complications (mental complications) and desire. Whereas the other way is immediate. Examples of those cases (of all cases) are innumerable, so also are the examples of the immediate case. Then people tell you, Oh, youve worked a miracle! No miracle was worked: it should always be that way. Its because the intermediary did not add himself to the action.
I dont know if thats clear, but anyway
0 1963-11-20, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
In the end, the conclusion of it all is that were fools! We want what were not given, we dont want what were given, and we mix in all kinds of personal desires with the care the Lord takes of us.
But I cant call unconsciousness a care! When Im unconscious, I feel it as something wrong!
0 1963-11-23, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
No. You know, what lends force to the opposition is superstitious ignorancesuperstitious in the sense of a sort of faith or at least of belief in destiny, in Fate. Its ingrained, as if woven into the human substance. They have the same superstition, the same superstitious belief in what is favorable to them as in what is unfavorable; in the divine Power as in the adverse powerits the SAME attitude. And thats why the divine Power doesnt have its full force, and also precisely why the adverse force has so much power over them, because its absolutely a movement of Falsehood, of Ignoranceof total Ignorance.
Recently, I was following the thing down to the smallest detail, in everybodys mentality. Even in those who have read Sri Aurobindo, who have studied Sri Aurobindo, who have understood, who have come into contact with that region of light, its still there its still there. Its very yes, its very tightly woven into the most outward and material part of the consciousness. Its a kind of submissiveness, which may be quite rebellious, but which gives a sense, as you said, of something hanging over your head and shoulders: a sort of Fate, of destiny.
So there is the good destiny and the bad destiny; there is a divine force which one regards as something entirely beyond understanding, whose designs and aims are perfectly inexplicable, and the submission, the surrender consists in acceptingblindlyall that happens. Ones nature revolts, but revolts against an Absolute against which it is helpless. And all of that is Ignorance. Not one of all those movements is truefrom the most intense revolt to the blin dest submission, its all false, not one true movement.
I dont know if its in Sri Aurobindos writings (I dont remember), but I hear very strongly (not for me, for mankind):
0 1963-12-03, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But anyway, its settling downwe are in the years of settling down. Everyone is caught by his own illusionits always the mirage of an illusion. She [Y.] is convinced, it is her very deep belief, that she is causing the Supermind to descend upon earth. And many, many people among those I know are caught by that illusion; so they go off at a tangent far away from the Truth, towards a fabulous realization.
Pride, vanity thats the worst trap. And when they feel that sort of vital force in them [as Y. does], they believe all at once that they have caught the Thing.
--
December 2nd was interestingsports day1: the day before, the 1st, the weather was wonderful, and insofar as I gave it thought I was convinced that on the 2nd it would be just as fine. But in the morning I saw it was nothing of the sort, and as the day went by, it became worse and worse. In the beginning my first movement was to say to myself, Well, I didnt see to it, I should have given it thought, but then I saw that was absurd. Then I told the Lord, Why are You doing this? Its not very nice! Those children have worked so hard, they have taken great pains. And just as I said it, the consciousness was looking at what I said, smiling, Oh, my! How silly still to be that way! And then there was yet another thing (its becoming very, very complete), something that wasnt exactly the Lord, but like an expression of the Lord, telling me (not with words, of course, but how can I explain? Sri Aurobindo describes it very well in the Yoga of Self-Perfection: its a very new thing which has to do with action, feeling, sensation and consciousness all at the same time; its all of them togethernone of those things, yet all of them), so it was there, telling me (I am putting it into words, but that distorts it entirely), So what! What if its a test, what do you have to say about it? So immediately in the consciousness here the consciousness at work here the thought awakened, Ah, it has to become a test, then. In THEIR consciousness it has to become a test. (Because at first I had made a kind of attempt to stop the rain; then I saw it didnt correspond to the Truth and that the rain had to be acceptedwhy accepted? To do nothing after having worked so hard? And to accept is easy, its nothing, its not interesting, nothing new.) So a test, all right. If they take it as a test, they will go through it victoriously and it will be very good. And all the time, I was so concentrated on them [at the sports ground] that I no longer knew what I was doing or where I was. It lasted from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M. Around 8 P.M., I received the news: they had gone on with the performance just the same, the important visitors had remained till the end, so ultimately it was a real success.
There was only one difficulty: the little children, who cannot be conscious of a test, of course, and who remained four and a half hours in the rain. I didnt want it to do any damage there were about a hundred small ones, tiny tots. I spent the night in concentration to bring into their material sensation the true reaction (because, for a short while, children love rain, they have a lot of fun in it), so I said to myself, That part of their consciousness should predominate so there is no damage. And I waited for the day after. The day after, no one was sick.
--
I had another interesting example, with a visitor: a German industrial magnate, it seems. I had seen his photo and found there was something in him I had him come. He entered the room and came in front of me: he didnt know what to do (no one had told him anything). So I looked at him and put some force (Mother slowly lowers her hand), a little, progressively. And all at once (at first he was quite official, it was MISTER So-and-so who was there), all at once his left hand began to rise, like this (gesture of a hand clenched as in trance), all the rest was absolutely still. When I saw that, I smiled and withdrew the force, then let him go. It seems he went downstairs, went into Sri Aurobindos room and started weeping. Afterwards, the next day, he wrote to me and told me in German English that I had been too human: Why have you been too human? He wanted his being to be desTROYED in order to be born again to the true life.
That interested me. I thought, Oh, he felt it, he was conscious both of the force and of my withdrawing it. I answered him, True, I spared you, but because it was your first visit! Prepare yourself, I will see you again.
0 1963-12-07 - supramental ship, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The way to get faith and all things else is to insist on having them and refuse to flag or despair or give up until one has themit is the way by which everything has been got since this difficult earth began to have thinking and aspiring creatures upon it. It is to open always, always to the Light and turn ones back on the Darkness. It is to refuse the voices that say persistently, You cannot, you shall not, you are incapable, you are the puppet of a dream,for these are the enemy voices, they cut one off from the result that was coming, by their strident clamour and then triumphantly point to the barrenness of the result as a proof of their thesis. The difficulty of the endeavour is a known thing, but the difficult is not the impossibleit is the difficult that has always been accomplished and the conquest of difficulties makes up all that is valuable in the earths history. In the spiritual endeavour also it shall be so.
Sri Aurobindo
--
Last night, for instance, early in the morning, there were several layers of cells,1 as it were, and each cell was I cant say the property, but the possession of someone: what was under his direct control and reflected his mood, as it is customarily called, his way of being. And there were many levels: you could go upstairs and downstairs. And the impression I had of myself was that I was much, much taller and that I towered above it all; and I had a different texture, as if I were made of a different substance, not quite the same as the others. It was as if all that were inside me without being inside me (I cant explain): I was looming over everything and at the same time acting inside. And then, according to the action, people were going upstairs or downstairs, going and coming; but everyone had his own little boxthey were BEGINNING to have it, it was beginning to get organized. Each cell was more or less precise: some were very precise, others more blurred, as if on the way to becoming precise. And the whole experience, last night, had a kind of precision about it. I was like something very big, outside, and I was laughing, talking to everyone, but they werent aware of the action [of Mother]. You see, they seemed to me this tall (gesture: four inches), tiny. But quite alive: they were going and coming, moving about. And I was talking to them, but they didnt know where the voice was coming from. So I laughed, I found it funny, I said to some, There! You see, thats your idea of things. And it was oh, if I compare it to last year, there is a tremendous difference of CONSCIOUSNESS, from the point of view of consciousness. Before, all the movements were reflexes, instincts, as if people were impelled by a force which they were totally unconscious of and considered to be their character, most of the time, or else destiny (either their character or Fate, destiny). They were all like puppets on strings. Now, they are conscious beings theyre BEGINNING, theyre beginning to be conscious.
The proportion has changed.
0 1963-12-11, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I wasnt conscious of an instrument, but I was conscious of plenty of spots2 to which the thing clings. It clings not even to beings, but to ways of being of beings: to certain tendencies, certain attitu des, certain reactionsit clings to all that. Its not at all one person or one will, thats not it, but its a way of being. Its all universal ways of being that are destined to disappear from the field of activity and are being eliminated.
But the reaction on the body was painful, as it was the first time. The first time (according to X and the Swami), it was supposed to kill meit didnt even make me seriously ill, but it had a very unpleasant effect. I told you at the time that it was a mantra intended to drain you of all your blood; Ive seen several examples of people who died in that way: it was found afterwards to be the result of a mantric formation. In my case, all it succeeded in doing was to make me sick, as if everything came out I vomited terribly. Then there was something pulling me and I absolutely had to go my consciousness told me I had to go and see someone (I was all alone in my bathroom when it happened), a particular person whom I had to go and see; and when I opened the door, Z was there, waiting to prepare my bath, but I didnt see him at all and I absolutely wanted to go somewhere, into the other room, so I pushed against him, thinking, Whats this obstacle in my way? And he thought I was fainting on him! It caused quite a to-do.
0 1963-12-14, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The way the world is now physically organized, with the difference and specialization in the forms, in sexes, encourages a kind of opposition between the two poles, the union of which results in creation. So, naturally, each pole has enormous difficulty understanding the other (although it thinks and believes it does), especially understanding the pole I place underneath (gesture signifying the basis of the world), which is the effectively creative pole, that is to say, what is expressed by woman. She feels very well that without this (gesture above) the full understanding isnt there; but this, which is above, doesnt AT ALL understand the creative power of that which is belowit knows it in principle, but doesnt understand it. And there is a lack of adaptation, a sort of conflict, which shouldnt exist. It never existedneverbetween Sri Aurobindo and me, but I could see it didnt exist because he had adopted the attitude of complete surrender to the eternal Mother (the stage, in the creation, of complete surrender). I would see it, and it embarrassed me! It embarrassed me, I thought, But why does he think he has to do that (laughing), as if I couldnt understand! On the contrary, I thirst for the other attitude for identifying myself this way instead of that way (Mother presses her fist upward against her hand above): for identifying myself from below upward instead of from above downward. It was an aspiration, which has been there almost for eternities for the universal creative Force to identify itself with the Creator. And to identify itself not through the descent of the Creator, but through the ascent of the Force the conscious ascent. But Sri Aurobindo willed it that way, so it was that way and then I was very busy with my work. For the thirty years we lived together, it went on that way, perfectly smoothly; and I kept my aspiration quiet because I knew that it was his will. But since he left and I was obliged to do his work, so to speak, things have changed. But I didnt in the least want the Creator, because of my taking up the work, to be obliged to adapt himself to the creative Force (that wont do at all!), and my whole aspiration has been for the creative Force to consciously BECOME the Creator. Its becoming increasingly that way. And at the last meeting [with Sri Aurobindo], for a time (not the whole time, but some time), it was that way. Then I understood; it made me understand the play of all the forces in the two elements the two polesand how they could be joined, through what process that opposition could disappear so that the total Being might exist.
Were on the way. And its growing clearer and clearer. It will be tremendously interesting. But thats for later on.
0 1963-12-21, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But, to tell the truth, if we could always keep in our consciousness, in a clear and living way, the vision of WHAT SHOULD BE, not with the illusion that its already there (there must be no illusions), but a clear, positive vision of what should be, despite all that denies it we would be very strong. This necessity is beginning to impose itself: thats what I am asked to do now. We KNOW things are not as they should be (God knows we know it!), but to keep deliberately ignoring those denials in order to keep ACTIVELY in the consciousness the vision of what should be that, I feel, is true creative power.
You know, the fact of no longer having the physical support of Sri Aurobindos presence was a blow that might have been mortal (I prevented it from being mortal by closing a door, because he had asked me to continue and I decided to continue), but it made certain things rather difficult because it became necessary to have a constant perception of what has to be done and a constant effort to change what is into what should be. Probably its a period of work that must be completed now, and he was asking of me the capacity to live in the positive side. The trouble is, the body is itself a kind of contradiction but it was suggested to me that those contradictions of the body arise from the fact that I admit in the consciousness all the contradictions, and that consequently they are there in the body, too. Instead of looking at the body and saying, Oh, this (this limitation, that narrowness) is still here, I should look only at WHAT SHOULD BE, and the body would be forced to follow.
0 1963-12-31, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
In fact, in Savitri, Sri Aurobindo went through all the worlds, and it so happens that I am following that without knowing it (because I never rememberthank God, I really thank heaven!I asked the Lord to take away my mental memory and He took it away entirely, so I am not weighed down), but I follow that description in Savitri without mentally knowing the sequence of the worlds, and these last few days I was in that Muddle of Falsehood (I told you last time), it was really painful, and I was tracking it down to the most tenuous vibrations, those that go back to the origin, to the moment when Truth could turn into Falsehoodhow it all happened. And it is so tenuous, almost imperceptible, that deformation, the original Deformation, that you tend to lose heart and you think, Its still really quite easy to topple over the slightest thing and you can still topple over into Falsehood, into Deformation. And yesterday, I had in my hands a passage from Savitri that was brought to meits a marvel, but its so sad, so miserable, oh, I could have cried (I dont easily cry).
The world grew full of menacing Energies,
0 1964-01-08, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
When I read that description in Savitri,2 I felt a sorrow which I thought I had been unable to feel for a long timea long time. I thought I was (how shall I put it?) cured of that possibility. And last time, when I saw that, I saw it was still there; and while I was looking, I saw this same sorrow in the Lord, in His face, His expression.
The deliberate negation of all that is divineof all that we call divine.
--
The far end of the Manifestation (assuming that there was a progressive descent there may have been one, I dont knowthere have been so many perceptions of what happened, sometimes contradictory, always incomplete and humanized), but if you consider the aspect of evolution, you tend to consider a far end from which you proceed to another far end (its obviously childish, but anyway), or an extreme way of being that grows towards the opposite Extreme Way of Being; well, what seems to me the blackest and most inert, the total negation of that to which we aspire, is what constitutes Falsehood.
In other words, this is perhaps what I call Falsehood; because falsehood in the human way is always mixed with all kinds of things but Falsehood proper is this. It is the assertion that the Divine does not exist, Life does not exist, Light does not exist, Love does not exist, Progress does not existLight, Life, Love do not exist.3 A negative nothingness, a dark nothingness. And it may be this that clung to evolution and made Darkness, which denied Light, Death, which denied Life, and Hatred, Cruelty and all that, which denied Love but this is already diluted, its already in a diluted state, there has already been a mixture.
0 1964-01-18, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There should be somewhere upon earth a place that no nation could claim as its own, a place where every human being of goodwill, sincere in his aspiration, could live freely as a citizen of the world, obeying one single authority, that of the supreme Truth; a place of peace, concord, harmony, where all the fighting instincts of man would be used exclusively to conquer the causes of his sufferings and miseries, to surmount his weakness and ignorance, to triumph over his limitations and incapacities; a place where the needs of the spirit and the concern for progress would take precedence over the satisfaction of desires and passions, the search for pleasures and material enjoyment. In this place, children would be able to grow and develop integrally without losing contact with their souls; education would be given not with a view to passing examinations or obtaining certificates and posts, but to enrich ones existing faculties and bring forth new ones. In this place, titles and positions would be replaced by opportunities to serve and organize; everyones bodily needs would be provided for equally, and in the general organization, intellectual, moral and spiritual superiority would be expressed not by increased pleasures and powers in life, but by greater duties and responsibilities. Beauty in all its art formspainting, sculpture, music, literaturewould be accessible to all equally, the ability to share in the joys it brings being limited solely by ones capacities and not by social or financial position. For in this ideal place, money would no longer be the sovereign lord; individual worth would have a far greater importance than that of material wealth and social position. There, work would not be for earning ones living, but the means to express oneself and develop ones capacities and possibilities, while at the same time being of service to the group as a whole, which would in turn provide for everyones subsistence and field of action. In short, it would be a place where human relationships, ordinarily based almost exclusively on competition and strife, would be replaced by relationships of emulation in trying to do ones best, of collaboration and real brotherhood.
The earth is not ready to realize such an ideal, for humanity does not yet possess either the knowledge necessary to understand and adopt it or the conscious force indispensable for its execution. This is why I call it a dream.
0 1964-01-25, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But, for example, that dialogue was only the memory of the experience. When I have the experience WHILE you are here and describe it to you, its much stronger.
Yes, obviously.
0 1964-01-29, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
For a long time people have been like bubbling champagne, you know, always wanting to know, Whats going to happen? What can we expect? A big to-do. I answered, I dont know. I dont know I am not trying to know, I am not looking at it, I am not concerned with it: when it comes, it will come. Then, several times (while I was writing birthday cards or letters), several times, it was as if clearly dictated to me, Prepare yourself for the Truth-Light that is descending. And its clearly this: the Truth-Light that is going to manifest the Truth-Light that is descending the Truth-Light that is preparing its manifestationall sorts of sentences kept coming to me like that, but always the Truth-Light. Then I understood that this was what was going to happen.
And now its something as solid as cement (which means its material) and ab-so-lute-ly EVEN, you know, even, not one ripple of form, absolutely flat as a slab of marble, and without beginning or endlimitless, you cant see its end: its everywhere. Everywhere, and everywhere the same. Everywhere the same. A color like a sort of gray (a gray, the gray of Matter) that would contain a golden light, yet doesnt shine: it doesnt shine, it doesnt have a luminosity of its own, but it contains light. It doesnt radiate, it isnt luminous, yet its a gray with a golden light in it the gray of the most material Matter, of stone; gray, you know. But it contains that light: its not inert, not insensitive, not unconscious, yet it is MATTER.
--
Listen, Sujata had a dream thats exactly what youve just described.
Oh, but shes wonderful, your Sujata!
--
The description follows. You would think it was happening now:
Doubt, discouragement, diminution or loss of faith, waning of the vital enthusiasm for the ideal, perplexity and a baffling of the hope for the future are the common features of the difficulty. In the world outside there are much worse symptoms such as the general increase of cynicism, a refusal to believe in anything at all, a decrease of honesty, an immense corruption, a preoccupation with food, money, comfort, pleasure, to the exclusion of higher things, and a general expectation of worse and worse things awaiting the world. All that, however acute, is a temporary phenomenon for which those who know anything about the workings of the world-energy and the workings of the Spirit were prepared. I myself foresaw that this worst would come, the darkness of night before the dawn; therefore I am not discouraged. I know what is preparing behind the darkness and can see and feel the first signs of its coming. Those who seek for the Divine have to stand firm and persist in their seeking; after a time, the darkness will fade and begin to disappear and the Light will come.
0 1964-02-13, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(Satprem kept note of the following conversation despite its episodic character, for it is, alas, a good illustration of the kind of innumerable microscopic "avalanches" that assailed Mother from every side, daily.)
H. was so very vexed because I had this work done by Sujata that she has broken off all relations with me! Except that she sends me letters of abuse every day!
0 1964-02-22, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And in the evening the resistance and revolt took a concrete form, as it were. Then, in response, there was in all the cells of the body a call, a desperate call for the Truth, as if all the cells were crying out, Ah, no! Weve had enough of this Falsehood, enough, enough, enough!the Truth, the Truth, the Truth. It put my body in a very deep trance. And it had the impression of a very, very intense struggle.
I was looking, and everywhere there were as if the world were made of huge engines with enormous pistons that were fallingyou know, like in engine rooms: they were rising and falling, rising and falling. It was like that everywhere. And it was pounding Matterit was frightful. To such a degree that the body felt pounded.
--
I have never seen such an intensity in the cells, in the consciousness of the cells you know, an almost desperate intensity: Weve had enough, enough of this Falsehood!the Truth, the Truth, the Truth. And then that Light bah-bah! They were conscious of the light. Conscious of a dazzling light.
Look, its the kind of giddiness one has when one has drunk a bit too much thats it, the giddiness caused by alcohol.
--
Which means that the gap between what they are used to receiving through infiltration and a radical descent is a tremendous one.
Several times in his letters, Sri Aurobindo wrote that if the higher Light were to descend abruptly, or if divine Love were to descend abruptly, without preparation the matter would be shattered. It appears to be quite true!
(silence)
0 1964-02-26, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And I notice that, all around, those nearer to the center of descent are very shaken upvery. I see very few bodies around me capable of bearing it. But then, if thats how it is, necessarily the descent is so filtered and diminished that how much will get through?
This morning, it hurt a little, but I said, Its nothing, it MUST NOT be that it has come bothers me. Its a sign that the descent is too strong. So if we have to wait another four years1968
And whats going to come? Itll be like a perfectly innocuous little rain! Which probably will not even be perceptible for the ordinary consciousness.
0 1964-03-04, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I hadnt tried to have that experience, I hadnt thought about it or anythingit came as something massive, and it stayed. But I had the feeling it was individual: I didnt feel it was something descending on earth. I felt it was something given to me, given to this body. Thats why I didnt attach much importance to it. The feeling of a grace given to this body. And it didnt leave tillit hasnt left, but it has been little by little and very slowly veiled by you know, that chaos of work, which has never been so chaotic and feverish at the same time.1 For about two weeks, it has been appalling. We havent come out of it yet. It has veiled that state FOR ME. But I clearly felt it was something GIVEN to this body.
During the meditation on the 29th, I noticed (I looked), I noticed that for about two days, the atmosphere had been full of a sparkling of white stars, like dusta twinkling dust of white stars.2 I saw it had been there for three days. And at the time of the meditation, it became extremely intense. But it was wi despread, it was everywhere.
--
It consists in inserting a "needle" into a very specific area of the brain in order to destroy a group of contagious cells.
***
0 1964-03-07, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And something began to descendnot descend: to manifest and permeate; permeate and fill this terrestrial consciousness. What a force it had! What a power! I had never felt that kind of intensity in the material world. A stability, a power! Everything in the sense of a power, everything in the sense of a thrust forwarda thrust forward: progress, evolution, transformation. Everything like that. As if everything, everything were filled with a power of transformationnot transformation, not transmutation, I dont know how to explain it. Not the final transformation that will change the appearance, not that: it was the ananda of progress. The ananda of progress, like the ananda of progress of the animal becoming man, of man becoming supermanit wasnt transformation, it wasnt what will respond to that progress: it was progress. And with a plenitude, a constancy, and No RESISTANCE ANYWHERE: there was no panic anywhere, no resistance anywhere; everything was enthusiastically participating.
It lasted more than an hour.
--
It was luminousluminous the whole time. That diamond-like sparkling turning into something much more compact, but less intense, that is, less brightfar more powerful. There was, above all, that sense of power: a power that can crush everything and rebuild everything. And in such an Ananda! But with nothing, absolutely nothing that had the slightest excitement, nothing of that bubbling which comes from the mind the mind was like this (gesture, both hands open towards the Eternal), peaceful, peaceful, quiet, absolutely quiet. And while the experience went on, I knew (because the consciousness above was watching it all), I knew that only when the flash the dazzlingly intense flash of the mental transformation through the supramental descentonly when the Light, the burst of Light, joins the ananda of Power will there occur things that will be a bit indisputable.
Because in an experience of this type, only the one who has it can be sure. The effects are visible in tiny details that can be observed only by those who are already well-disposed, that is (to translate), by those who have faiththose who have faith can see. And I know that because they tell me: they see examples of those tiny miracles of every minute (they arent miracles) multiply; theyre everywhere, all the time, all the timelittle facts, harmonies, realizations, concords all of which are quite unusual in this world of Disorder. But while the experience was there, I knew there would be another one, which is yet to come (God knows when!), and which would join with this one to form a third. And it is that junction that will then probably cause something to be changed in the appearances.
0 1964-03-25, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
We are forced to use words of movement because, for us, everything moves, but that change of consciousness isnt a movementit isnt a movement. So then how can we speak about it and describe it?
Even if we say a state that takes the place of another takes the place we immediately introduce movementall our words are like that, what can we say?
--
You see, this aphorism would eventually lead to an absolute subjectivity, and only that absolute subjectivity would be truewell, its NOT like that. Because that means pralaya, it means Nirvana. Well, there isnt only Nirvana, there is an objectivity thats real, not false but how can you say what it is! Its something I have felt several timesseveral times, not just in a flash: the reality of (How can we express ourselves? We are always deceived by our words) In the perfect sense of Oneness and in the consciousness of Oneness there is room for the objective, for objectivityone doesnt destroy the other, not at all. You may have the sense of a differentiation; not that it isnt yourself, but its a different vision. I told you, all that we can say is nothing, its nonsense, because the purpose of words is to express the unreal world, but Yes, that may be what Sri Aurobindo calls the sense of Multiplicity in Unity (maybe that corresponds a little), just as you feel the internal multiplicity of your being, something of that sort. I dont at all have the sensation of a separate self anymore, not at all, not at all, not even in the body, yet that doesnt prevent me from having a certain sense of an objective relationshipwell, yes, it leads us back to his change in the relation of sun-consciousness and earth-consciousness. (Laughing) Maybe thats really is the best way of putting it! Its a relation of consciousness. It isnt at all the relationship between oneself and othersnot at all, thats entirely canceled but it might be like the relation of consciousness between the various parts of ones being. And it gives objectivity to those various parts, obviously.
(long silence)
--
Two or three nights ago, something like that occurred: in the middle of the night, early morning, there was a descent of this Force, a descent of this Truth-Power; and this time it was everywhere (its always everywhere), but with a special concentration in the brainnot in this brain: in THE brain.2 And it was so strong, so strong, so strong! The head felt as if it were about to burstyes, as if everything were going to burstso that for about two hours I simply had to keep calling for the widening of the Lords Peace: Lord, Your widening, Your peace, like that, in the cells. And with the consciousness (which is always conscious, of course [gesture above]) that this descent into an unprepared brain would be enough to drive you completely mad or absolutely daze you (at the very best), or else you would burst.
This experience, like the other one,3 hasnt left.
0 1964-03-28, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And there is such a marvelous Wisdom, which gives all things in doses so that the overall progress may not be at the expense of anythingso that EVERYTHING may move on. Then you marvel at that Wisdomwhich humanity constantly insults, which they clo the in the most pejorative words: destiny, Fate.
It is a marvelous Wisdom.
--
But you see, you see all the way I have come. And I was born with a consciously prepared bodySri Aurobindo was aware of that, he said it immediately the first time he saw me: I was born free. That is, from the spiritual standpoint: without any desire. Without any desire and attachment. And, mon petit, if there is the slightest desire and the slightest attachment, its IMPOSSIBLE to do this work.
A vital like a warrior, with an absolute self-control (the vital of this present incarnation was sexlessa warrior), an absolutely calm and imperturbable warriorno desires, no attachments. Since my earliest childhood, I have done things which, to the human consciousness, are monstrous; my mother went so far as to tell me that I was a real monster, because I had neither attachments nor desires. If I was asked, Would you like to do this? I answered, I dont care (my father especially, it would make him furious!3). If people were nasty to me, or if people died or went away, it left me absolutely calm and so: Youre a monster, you have no feelings.
And with that preparation Its eighty-six years since I came here, mon petit! For thirty years I worked with Sri Aurobindo consciously, without letup, night and day. We shouldnt be in a hurry.
--
All that I am doing, all that this body is doing, it has the power to pass on to others thats precisely what I am studying now. I am studying this. Its a sort of power to put people in contact with the Vibration of the Consciousness (radiating gesture around the head), which is concentrated on a number of people and things (all over the earth, naturally), but also on certain points. Its the Power that came the night when there was that descent in the brain: at any moment I was able to direct a beam here, another beam there, touch a point here, another point there (gesture like a beacon).
Thats what Sri Aurobindo never stopped repeating: Do not try to do it all by yourself, the Mother will do it for you, if you trust Her.
--
Later on, I cant say. If a power of ANOTHER ORDER descends into the body, and if it recovers from the wear and tear of effort, then things may be different, but for the moment
Sri Aurobindo said it and some people remember, they repeat it and I dont say no (because it isnt noit cannot be no: its true), but I dont insist on it, I never say it. I am saying it to you because we work together, and also, in fact, because youll be going to France for some time and during that time it will truly be the way for you to make this progress: to fasten yourself, stand firm and be constantly wrapped in the Force.
0 1964-07-18, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
For instance, when you show me photos, what I see is the proportion between the vibrations; I dont see a character with a destiny (all that is no longer true, its only very superficially and relatively true, like a story you read in a novel), but the TRUE THING is precisely the extent to which the vibrations are arranged in a given spot, centralize and spread according to the receptivity to the Vibration of Light and Order, and to the possible use of that cellular aggregate.
People who are quite shut up in their bag of skin, in their vital and mental ego, give you the feeling of something totally artificial, hardhard, dry and artificial. And exact. Thats troublesome, you feel like taking a hammer and bashing themit happens!
0 1964-07-22, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Then, immediately, without transition, it was as if I was plunged in a bath of the Supremes Love with the sensation of something limitless; in other words, when you have the perception of space, that something is everywhere (its beyond the perception of space, but if you have the perception of space, its everywhere). And its a kind of homogenous vibratory mass, IMMOBILE, yet with an unparalleled intensity of vibration, which can be described as a warm, golden light (but its not that, its much more marvelous than that!). And then, its everywhere at once, everywhere always the same, without alternations of high and low, unchanging, in an unvarying intensity of sensation. And that something which is characteristic of divine nature (and is hard to express with words) is at the same time absolute immobility and absolute intensity of vibration. And That loves. There is no Lord, there are no things; there is no subject, no object. And That loves. But how can you say what That is? Its impossible. And That loves everywhere and everything, all the time, all at the same time.
All those stories those so-called saints and sages told about Gods Love coming and going, oh, its unspeakably stupid!Its THERE, eternally; It has always been there, eternally; It will always be there, eternally, always the same and at the highest of its possibility.
--
And I said that that sort of rain of Truth-Light which came a few months ago1 announced somethingit has obviously prepared, started this kind of permeation of a superior Harmony into the material vibrations. It has prepared not a new descent, but the possibility of a new perception, a perception that allows an outward and physical action.
(silence)
--
Obviously, in those activities, I dont have recourse to divine Love to find the solution of the problem I am not allowed to do so. So I understand that this is what was translated in peoples thought by the idea that divine Love cannot manifest entirely, otherwise there would be catastrophes3its not that at all, thats not at all the way it is. But its clear that in my consciousness the [supreme] contact has been made (with some degree of limitation, but still it has been made), and nothing takes placenothing, absolutely nothing, not even the most totally in-sig-nif-i-cant thingswithout, I cant even say the thought or the sensation (in English they say awareness, but its much fuller than that), the feeling (another impossible word), without the feeling of the Lords Presence, the supreme Presence, being there twenty-four hours a day. Throughout that activity of the night Ive just told you about, He was there, the Lords Presence was there all the time, every second, directing everything, organizing everythingBUT THAT WASNT THERE. And That, which I call Love, that Manifestation, is so formidably powerful that, as I once said, it is intolerant of anything elseThat alone exists. That exists, That isand its finished. Whereas the Lord (the Lord, what I call the Lord) is something else altogether; the Lord is all that has manifested, all that hasnt manifested, all that is, all that will be, and all, all is the Lordits the Lord. But the Lord (laughing) is necessarily tolerant of Himself! All is the Lord, but all is perceived by the Lord through the limitations of human perception!4 But everything, everything is thereeverything is there; everything, as it is every second; and with the perception of time, every second is different, in a perpetual becoming. This is supreme Tolerance: there is no more struggle, no more battle, no more destruction there is only He.
Those who have had this experience have generally stopped there. And if they wanted to get out of the world, they chose the Lords aspect of annihilation; they took refuge there and stayed thereall the rest no longer existed. But the other aspect the other aspect is the world of tomorrow, or of the day after tomorrow. The other aspect is an inexpressible glory. So all-powerful a glory that it alone exists.
--- Overview of noun des
The noun des has 2 senses (first 1 from tagged texts)
1. (1) diethylstilbestrol, diethylstilboestrol, stilbestrol, stilboestrol, DES ::: (a potent estrogen used in medicine and in feed for livestock and poultry)
2. diethylstilbesterol, DES, stilbesterol ::: (synthetic nonsteroid with the properties of estrogen; formerly used to treat menstrual problems but was found to be associated with vaginal cancers in the daughters of women so treated during pregnancy)
--- Overview of noun de
The noun de has 1 sense (no senses from tagged texts)
1. Delaware, Diamond State, First State, DE ::: (a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies)
--- Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun des
2 senses of des
Sense 1
diethylstilbestrol, diethylstilboestrol, stilbestrol, stilboestrol, DES
=> estrogen, oestrogen
=> steroid hormone, steroid, sex hormone
=> hormone, endocrine, internal secretion
=> secretion
=> liquid body substance, bodily fluid, body fluid, humor, humour
=> body substance
=> substance
=> matter
=> physical entity
=> entity
=> part, portion, component part, component, constituent
=> relation
=> abstraction, abstract entity
=> entity
Sense 2
diethylstilbesterol, DES, stilbesterol
=> nonsteroid, nonsteroidal
=> organic compound
=> compound, chemical compound
=> chemical, chemical substance
=> material, stuff
=> substance
=> matter
=> physical entity
=> entity
=> part, portion, component part, component, constituent
=> relation
=> abstraction, abstract entity
=> entity
Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun de
1 sense of de
Sense 1
Delaware, Diamond State, First State, DE
INSTANCE OF=> American state
=> state, province
=> administrative district, administrative division, territorial division
=> district, territory, territorial dominion, dominion
=> region
=> location
=> object, physical object
=> physical entity
=> entity
--- Hyponyms of noun des
Hyponyms of noun de
--- Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun des
2 senses of des
Sense 1
diethylstilbestrol, diethylstilboestrol, stilbestrol, stilboestrol, DES
=> estrogen, oestrogen
Sense 2
diethylstilbesterol, DES, stilbesterol
=> nonsteroid, nonsteroidal
Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun de
1 sense of de
Sense 1
Delaware, Diamond State, First State, DE
INSTANCE OF=> American state
--- Coordinate Terms (sisters) of noun des
2 senses of des
Sense 1
diethylstilbestrol, diethylstilboestrol, stilbestrol, stilboestrol, DES
-> estrogen, oestrogen
=> diethylstilbestrol, diethylstilboestrol, stilbestrol, stilboestrol, DES
=> estradiol, oestradiol
=> estriol, oestriol
=> estrone, oestrone, theelin, Estronol
=> hexestrol
=> mestranol
Sense 2
diethylstilbesterol, DES, stilbesterol
-> nonsteroid, nonsteroidal
=> diethylstilbesterol, DES, stilbesterol
Coordinate Terms (sisters) of noun de
1 sense of de
Sense 1
Delaware, Diamond State, First State, DE
-> American state
=> slave state
=> free state
HAS INSTANCE=> Alabama, Heart of Dixie, Camellia State, AL
HAS INSTANCE=> Alaska, Last Frontier, AK
HAS INSTANCE=> Arizona, Grand Canyon State, AZ
HAS INSTANCE=> Arkansas, Land of Opportunity, AR
HAS INSTANCE=> California, Golden State, CA, Calif.
HAS INSTANCE=> Colorado, Centennial State, CO
HAS INSTANCE=> Connecticut, Nutmeg State, Constitution State, CT
HAS INSTANCE=> Delaware, Diamond State, First State, DE
HAS INSTANCE=> Florida, Sunshine State, Everglade State, FL
HAS INSTANCE=> Georgia, Empire State of the South, Peach State, GA
HAS INSTANCE=> Hawaii, Hawai'i, Aloha State, HI
HAS INSTANCE=> Idaho, Gem State, ID
HAS INSTANCE=> Illinois, Prairie State, Land of Lincoln, IL
HAS INSTANCE=> Indiana, Hoosier State, IN
HAS INSTANCE=> Iowa, Hawkeye State, IA
HAS INSTANCE=> Kansas, Sunflower State, KS
HAS INSTANCE=> Kentucky, Bluegrass State, KY
HAS INSTANCE=> Louisiana, Pelican State, LA
HAS INSTANCE=> Maine, Pine Tree State, ME
HAS INSTANCE=> Maryland, Old Line State, Free State, MD
HAS INSTANCE=> Massachusetts, Bay State, Old Colony, MA
HAS INSTANCE=> Michigan, Wolverine State, Great Lakes State, MI
HAS INSTANCE=> Minnesota, Gopher State, North Star State, MN
HAS INSTANCE=> Mississippi, Magnolia State, MS
HAS INSTANCE=> Missouri, Show Me State, MO
HAS INSTANCE=> Montana, Treasure State, MT
HAS INSTANCE=> Nebraska, Cornhusker State, NE
HAS INSTANCE=> Nevada, Silver State, Battle Born State, Sagebrush State, NV
HAS INSTANCE=> New Hampshire, Granite State, NH
HAS INSTANCE=> New Jersey, Jersey, Garden State, NJ
HAS INSTANCE=> New Mexico, Land of Enchantment, NM
HAS INSTANCE=> New York, New York State, Empire State, NY
HAS INSTANCE=> North Carolina, Old North State, Tar Heel State, NC
HAS INSTANCE=> North Dakota, Peace Garden State, ND
HAS INSTANCE=> Ohio, Buckeye State, OH
HAS INSTANCE=> Oklahoma, Sooner State, OK
HAS INSTANCE=> Oregon, Beaver State, OR
HAS INSTANCE=> Pennsylvania, Keystone State, PA
HAS INSTANCE=> Rhode Island, Little Rhody, Ocean State, RI
HAS INSTANCE=> South Carolina, Palmetto State, SC
HAS INSTANCE=> South Dakota, Coyote State, Mount Rushmore State, SD
HAS INSTANCE=> Tennessee, Volunteer State, TN
HAS INSTANCE=> Texas, Lone-Star State, TX
HAS INSTANCE=> Utah, Beehive State, Mormon State, UT
HAS INSTANCE=> Vermont, Green Mountain State, VT
HAS INSTANCE=> Virginia, Old Dominion, Old Dominion State, VA
HAS INSTANCE=> Washington, Evergreen State, WA
HAS INSTANCE=> West Virginia, Mountain State, WV
HAS INSTANCE=> Wisconsin, Badger State, WI
HAS INSTANCE=> Wyoming, Equality State, WY
--- Grep of noun des
abu hafs al-masri brigades
acanthoscelides
accroides
ace of spades
acer platanoides
acid anhydrides
acyl anhydrides
aedes
aerides
agastache nepetoides
aides
aksa martyrs brigades
al-aksa martyrs brigades
alcibiades
alcides
aleyrodes
alternanthera philoxeroides
amanita phalloides
andes
aneides
anemonella thalictroides
anser cygnoides
antipodes
antitrades
arab revolutionary brigades
archimedes
ardisia escallonoides
arenaria peploides
artemisia gnaphalodes
ascaris lumbricoides
asparagus asparagoides
aspidophoroides
aster ericoides
aster ptarmicoides
athrotaxis selaginoides
athyrium thelypteroides
atlantides
bacteroides
balanus balanoides
battle of the chemin-des-dames
bouvier des flandres
bouviers des flandres
brassica oleracea gongylodes
buchloe dactyloides
bumelia lycioides
callisaurus draconoides
camassia scilloides
campanula aparinoides
campanula rapunculoides
capsicum annuum conoides
cascades
castoroides
catalpa bignioides
caulophyllum thalictrioides
caulophyllum thalictroides
cecil j. rhodes
cecil john rhodes
cecil rhodes
cenchrus tribuloides
centaurium scilloides
ceratopteris pteridioides
ceratopteris thalictroides
chamaecyparis thyoides
charades
chelifer cancroides
chenopodium ambrosioides
cirsium helenioides
colaptes chrysoides
colossus of rhodes
cryptacanthodes
cryptogramma acrostichoides
ctenocephalides
cyamopsis psoraloides
cyclades
dacrycarpus dacrydioides
deparia acrostichoides
des
des moines
desalination
desalinisation
desalinization
descant
descartes
descendant
descendants
descendent
descender
descending aorta
descending colon
descending node
descensus
descensus uteri
descent
description
descriptive adjective
descriptive anthropology
descriptive clause
descriptive geometry
descriptive grammar
descriptive linguistics
descriptivism
descriptor
descurainia
descurainia pinnata
desecration
desegregation
desensitisation
desensitisation procedure
desensitisation technique
desensitization
desensitization procedure
desensitization technique
desert
desert boot
desert four o'clock
desert fox
desert holly
desert iguana
desert lynx
desert mariposa tulip
desert olive
desert paintbrush
desert pea
desert plant
desert plume
desert rat
desert rheumatism
desert rose
desert sand verbena
desert selaginella
desert soil
desert sunflower
desert tortoise
desert willow
deserter
desertic soil
desertification
desertion
deserts
deservingness
deshabille
desiccant
desiccation
desideratum
desiderius erasmus
design
design criteria
designated driver
designated hitter
designation
designatum
designer
designer drug
designing
desipramine
desirability
desirableness
desire
desire to know
desk
desk clerk
desk dictionary
desk officer
desk phone
desk sergeant
deskman
desktop
desktop computer
desktop publishing
desmanthus
desmanthus ilinoensis
desmid
desmidiaceae
desmidium
desmodium
desmodium gyrans
desmodium motorium
desmodium purpureum
desmodium tortuosum
desmodontidae
desmodus
desmodus rotundus
desmograthus
desmond tutu
desolation
desorption
desoxyribonucleic acid
despair
despatch
desperado
desperate
desperate criminal
desperate measure
desperate straits
desperation
despicability
despicableness
despisal
despising
despite
despoilation
despoiler
despoilment
despoina
despoliation
despondence
despondency
despot
despotism
desquamation
dessert
dessert apple
dessert plate
dessert spoon
dessert wine
dessertspoon
dessertspoonful
dessiatine
destabilisation
destabilization
destalinisation
destalinization
destination
destiny
destitution
destroyer
destroyer escort
destroying angel
destructibility
destruction
destruction fire
destructive distillation
destructive metabolism
destructiveness
desuetude
desynchronisation
desynchronization
desynchronizing
desyrel
dialeurodes
dianthus deltoides
diplotaxis erucoides
dryopteris oreades
elanoides
erysimum cheiranthoides
eucalyptus fraxinoides
eucalyptusd eugenioides
eumenides
euphorbia amygdaloides
euripides
everglades
falcatifolium taxoides
felicia amelloides
gardenia jasminoides
genus acanthoscelides
genus aedes
genus aerides
genus aleyrodes
genus aneides
genus aspidophoroides
genus bacteroides
genus castoroides
genus cryptacanthodes
genus ctenocephalides
genus dialeurodes
genus elanoides
genus hippoglossoides
genus hyacinthoides
genus ixodes
genus micruroides
genus paralithodes
genus picoides
genus sarcodes
genus sebastodes
genus trialeurodes
gum accroides
habenaria psycodes
hades
harpullia cupanioides
hebrides
hedeoma pulegioides
hesperides
hippoglossoides
hippoglossoides platessoides
hudsonia ericoides
hyacinthoides
hyades
hylophylax naevioides
hypericum gentianoides
hypericum hypericoides
ides
inner hebrides
iris xiphioides
ironsides
ixodes
jack of all trades
laburnum anagyroides
lagodon rhomboides
lanius ludovicianus excubitorides
law of archimedes
lentinus edodes
lepiota rhacodes
listera convallarioides
lycopodium alopecuroides
maimonides
malaxis ophioglossoides
marasmius oreades
matricaria matricarioides
matricaria oreades
metasequoia glyptostrodoides
microgramma-piloselloides
micropterus salmoides
micruroides
miltiades
moses maimonides
myosotis scorpiodes
new hebrides
nicandra physaloides
notropis atherinoides
nyctereutes procyonides
old ironsides
ophrys sphegodes
order apodes
ornithogalum thyrsoides
oryzopsis hymenoides
otides
outer hebrides
paralithodes
parmenides
pedilanthus tithymaloides
pennisetum cenchroides
penstemon linarioides
pholiota squarrosoides
phyllocladus trichomanoides
phylloporus boletinoides
phyllostachys bambusoides
picoides
picris echioides
pinus cembroides
pleiades
podocarpus dacrydioides
polypodium polypodioides
polystichum acrostichoides
populus deltoides
populus tremuloides
protea cynaroides
qassam brigades
quercus prinoides
ranvier's nodes
red brigades
rhagades
rhodes
rubus cissoides
saccharomyces ellipsoides
salix amygdaloides
sanicula arctopoides
sarcodes
saxifraga aizoides
saxifraga hypnoides
schizophragma hydrangeoides
sebastodes
senecio milkanioides
shades
silversides
sobersides
solanum jasmoides
solenostemon scutellarioides
spartina cynosuroides
sphyrna tudes
suborder otides
tacca leontopetaloides
telopea oreades
tetragonia tetragonioides
thomomys talpoides
thucydides
tillandsia usneoides
trachelospermum jasminoides
trialeurodes
trigonella ornithopodioides
triticum dicoccum dicoccoides
verbesina encelioides
verbesina helianthoides
virgilia oroboides
wyethia helianthoides
wynnea sparassoides
ximenesia encelioides
Grep of noun de
a. e. burnside
abode
aborticide
absolute magnitude
acapulco de juarez
acaracide
acaricide
access code
accolade
acetaldehyde
acetamide
acetanilide
acetic anhydride
acetyl chloride
acid halide
acrylamide
actinide
acute schizophrenic episode
acyl halide
ade
adelaide
agnes de mille
agnes george de mille
aide
aide-de-camp
alcalde
aldehyde
alex boncayao brigade
alexis charles henri maurice de tocqueville
alexis de tocqueville
alfred de musset
alidade
alkyl halide
allemande
allhallowtide
alpine enchanter's nightshade
altitude
aluminium chloride
aluminium hydroxide
aluminium oxide
aluminum chloride
aluminum hydroxide
aluminum oxide
ambrose everett burnside
ambuscade
amide
amitriptyline hydrochloride
ammonium chloride
ammonium hydroxide
amplitude
amusement arcade
andre gide
andre paul guillaume gide
anhydride
anisette de bordeaux
anode
anti-imperialist international brigade
antinode
antipode
antitrade
antoine laurent de jussieu
antonio lopez de santa ana
antonio lopez de santa anna
aptitude
arcade
area code
arsenic trioxide
arsenide
arsenous anhydride
arsenous oxide
ascending node
aside
asplenium viride
assisted suicide
asynchronous transfer mode
atherodyde
atrioventricular node
attitude
autodefensas unidas de colombia
avant-garde
axillary node
azide
azoimide
backside
bacteriacide
bactericide
bade
balance of trade
ball nightshade
ballade
balustrade
bar code
barbados pride
barium dioxide
barium hydroxide
barium monoxide
barium oxide
barium peroxide
barium protoxide
baron de la brede et de montesquieu
baronne anne louise germaine necker de steal-holstein
barricade
baruch de spinoza
battle of langside
beatitude
beau monde
bede
bedside
belgrade
belle de nuit
benedict de spinoza
benzoyl peroxide
bichloride
bigarade
binary code
bittersweet nightshade
black nightshade
blade
blende
blind side
blockade
blonde
bolide
boron trifluoride
bride
brigade
bright side
broad-leaved twayblade
broadside
brocade
bromide
brunnhilde
building code
bureau de change
burnside
cadmium sulfide
cadmium sulphide
calcium-cyanamide
calcium carbide
calcium chloride
calcium hydride
calcium hydroxide
calcium oxide
calderon de la barca
callithump parade
cannonade
canyonside
cape verde
capital of cape verde
carbamide
carbide
carbon dichloride
carbon dioxide
carbon disulfide
carbon monoxide
carbon tetrachloride
carbon tetrahalide
carbonnade flamande
cardiac glucoside
cardiac glycoside
cardiac tamponade
carriage trade
casanova de seingalt
cascade
catherine de medicis
cathode
cavalcade
celestial latitude
celestial longitude
centipede
certitude
cestode
cetrimide
champion lode
change of magnitude
chanson de geste
charade
charles andre joseph marie de gaulle
charles augustin de coulomb
charles de gaulle
charles louis de secondat
charles maurice de talleyrand
chemin de fer
cheval-de-frise
chevalier de bayard
chevalier de lamarck
chevaux-de-frise
chlordiazepoxide
chloride
chlorine dioxide
chlorothiazide
choral ode
chorale prelude
christmastide
church mode
cidade de praia
cinco de mayo
cirripede
ciudad de mexico
civic pride
clade
cladode
climbing nightshade
clyde
cochon de lait
cockade
coco de macao
code
coeloglossum viride
cold cathode
colonnade
color code
combination in restraint of trade
commode
common nightshade
computer code
comrade
comte de mirabeau
comte de rochambeau
comte de saxe
comte donatien alphonse francois de sade
consuetude
continental divide
copper oxide
corps de ballet
correctitude
cosimo de medici
cotes de provence
countryside
coup de grace
coup de main
coup de theatre
coureur de bois
couvade
cowhide
crassitude
credit side
creme de cacao
creme de fraise
creme de menthe
crepe de chine
croix de guerre
crude
crusade
cul de sac
curbside
custom-made
cyanamide
cyanide
cyanuramide
cyrano de bergerac
daminozide
de
de-escalation
de-iodinase
de-iodination
de-nazification
de-stalinisation
de-stalinization
de bakey
de broglie
de facto segregation
de forest
de gaulle
de jure segregation
de kooning
de l'orme
de la mare
de mille
de niro
de quincey
de sade
de saussure
de sica
de spinoza
de valera
de vries
dea
deacon
deaconess
deactivation
dead
dead-air space
dead-end street
dead-man's-fingers
dead-man's float
dead-men's-fingers
dead air
dead axle
dead body
dead center
dead centre
dead drop
dead duck
dead end
dead hand
dead hand of the past
dead heat
dead language
dead letter
dead load
dead mail
dead march
dead metaphor
dead nettle
dead person
dead reckoning
dead ringer
dead room
dead sea
dead sea scrolls
dead soul
dead weight
deadbeat
deadbeat dad
deadbolt
deadening
deadeye
deadhead
deadlight
deadline
deadliness
deadlock
deadly nightshade
deadly sin
deadness
deadwood
deae cellulose
deaf
deaf-aid
deaf-and-dumb person
deaf-mute
deaf-muteness
deaf-mutism
deaf person
deafness
deal
dealer
dealership
dealfish
dealignment
dealing
dealings
deamination
deaminization
dean
dean acheson
dean gooderham acheson
dean martin
dean swift
deanery
deanship
dear
dearest
dearie
dearness
dearth
deary
death
death's-head moth
death's head
death-roll
death adder
death angel
death bell
death benefit
death camas
death camp
death cap
death chair
death chamber
death cup
death duty
death house
death instinct
death knell
death mask
death penalty
death rate
death row
death seat
death squad
death tax
death toll
death valley
death warrant
death wish
deathbed
deathblow
deathrate
deathtrap
deathwatch
deathwatch beetle
deb
debacle
debarkation
debarment
debasement
debaser
debate
debater
debauch
debauchee
debaucher
debauchery
debenture
debenture bond
debilitation
debility
debit
debit card
debit entry
debit side
debitor
debridement
debriefing
debris
debris storm
debris surge
debs
debt
debt ceiling
debt instrument
debt limit
debtor
debugger
debunking
debussy
debut
debutante
dec
dec 24
dec 25
decade
decadence
decadency
decadent
decadron
decaf
decaffeinated coffee
decagon
decagram
decahedron
decal
decalcification
decalcomania
decalescence
decaliter
decalitre
decalogue
decameter
decametre
decampment
decanedioic acid
decanoic acid
decantation
decanter
decapitation
decapod
decapod crustacean
decapoda
decapterus
decapterus macarellus
decapterus punctatus
decarboxylase
decarboxylation
decasyllable
decathlon
decatur
decay
deccan hemp
decease
deceased
deceased person
decedent
deceit
deceitfulness
deceiver
deceleration
december
december 31
december 8
decency
decennary
decennium
decentalisation
decentralisation
decentralization
deception
deceptiveness
decibel
deciding
decidua
deciduous holly
deciduous plant
deciduous tooth
decigram
decile
deciliter
decilitre
decimal
decimal digit
decimal fraction
decimal notation
decimal number system
decimal numeration system
decimal point
decimal system
decimal system of classification
decimalisation
decimalization
decimation
decimeter
decimetre
decimus junius juvenalis
decipherer
decipherment
decision
decision maker
decision making
decision table
decisive factor
decisiveness
decius
deck
deck-house
deck chair
deck of cards
deck tennis
decker
deckhand
deckle
deckle edge
declamation
declaration
declaration of estimated tax
declaration of independence
declarative
declarative mood
declarative sentence
declaratory sentence
declarer
declassification
declension
declination
decline
decline in quality
declinometer
declivity
declomycin
deco
decoagulant
decoction
decoction mashing
decoction process
decoder
decoding
decolletage
decolonisation
decolonization
decomposition
decomposition reaction
decompound leaf
decompressing
decompression
decompression sickness
decongestant
deconstruction
deconstructionism
deconstructivism
decontamination
decor
decoration
decoration day
decorativeness
decorator
decorousness
decortication
decorum
decoupage
decoy
decrease
decree
decree nisi
decrement
decrepitation
decrepitude
decrescendo
decriminalisation
decriminalization
decryption
decubitus
decubitus ulcer
decumaria
decumaria barbara
decumaria barbata
decumary
decussation
ded
dedicated file server
dedication
dedifferentiation
deductible
deduction
deductive reasoning
deed
deed of conveyance
deed of trust
deed poll
deedbox
deeds
deems taylor
deep
deep-dish pie
deep-freeze
deep-sea diver
deep brown
deep cervical vein
deep fording
deep freeze
deep freezer
deep kiss
deep middle cerebral vein
deep pocket
deep red
deep south
deep space
deep supporting fire
deep temporal vein
deep water
deepening
deepfreeze
deepness
deepwater pipefish
deepwater squirrelfish
deer
deer's-ear
deer's-ears
deer fern
deer fly fever
deer grass
deer hunt
deer hunter
deer hunting
deer mouse
deer mushroom
deer tick
deer trail
deerberry
deere
deerhound
deerskin
deerstalker
deerstalking
defacement
defalcation
defalcator
defamation
defamer
default
default judgement
default judgment
default option
defaulter
defeat
defeated
defeatism
defeatist
defecation
defecation reflex
defecator
defect
defect of speech
defection
defective pleading
defectiveness
defector
defence
defence force
defence mechanism
defence policy
defence program
defence reaction
defence system
defencelessness
defendant
defender
defender of the faith
defending team
defenestration
defense
defense advanced research projects agency
defense attorney
defense contractor
defense department
defense force
defense information systems agency
defense intelligence agency
defense laboratory
defense lawyer
defense lawyers
defense logistics agency
defense mechanism
defense policy
defense program
defense reaction
defense reutilization and marketing service
defense secretary
defense system
defense team
defense technical information center
defenselessness
defensibility
defensive
defensive attitude
defensive measure
defensive structure
defensiveness
deference
deferment
deferral
deferred payment
defervescence
defiance
defibrillation
defibrillator
deficiency
deficiency disease
deficit
deficit spending
defilade
defile
defilement
defiler
defining
definite article
definite integral
definite quantity
definiteness
definition
definitive host
deflagration
deflation
deflationary spiral
deflator
deflection
deflector
deflexion
defloration
defoe
defoliant
defoliation
defoliator
deforestation
deformation
deformity
defrauder
defrayal
defrayment
defroster
deftness
defunctness
defusing
degas
degaussing
degeneracy
degenerate
degeneration
degenerative arthritis
degenerative disorder
degenerative joint disease
deglutition
degradation
degrader
degree
degree celsius
degree centigrade
degree day
degree fahrenheit
degree of a polynomial
degree of a term
degree of freedom
degree program
degressive tax
degustation
dehiscence
dehong dai
dehumanisation
dehumanization
dehydrated food
dehydrated foods
dehydration
dehydroretinol
deicer
deictic
deictic word
deification
deimos
deinocheirus
deinonychus
deipnosophist
deism
deist
deity
deixis
deja vu
dejectedness
dejection
dejeuner
dekagram
dekaliter
dekalitre
dekameter
dekametre
dekker
dekko
del rio
delacroix
delairea
delairea odorata
delavirdine
delaware
delaware bay
delaware memorial bridge
delaware river
delawarean
delawarian
delay
delay line
delayed action
delayed allergy
delayer
delbruck
delectability
delectation
delegacy
delegate
delegating
delegation
deletion
delf
delft
delhi
delhi boil
deli
deliberate defence
deliberate defense
deliberateness
deliberation
deliberative assembly
delibes
delicacy
delicatessen
delicatessen food
delichon
delichon urbica
delicious
deliciousness
delight
delilah
delimitation
delineation
delinquency
delinquent
deliquium
delirium
delirium tremens
delius
deliverable
deliverance
deliverer
delivery
delivery boy
delivery truck
delivery van
deliveryman
dell
delmonico steak
delonix
delonix regia
delorme
delphi
delphic oracle
delphinapterus
delphinapterus leucas
delphinidae
delphinium
delphinium ajacis
delphinus
delphinus delphis
delta
delta hepatitis
delta iron
delta ray
delta rhythm
delta wave
delta wing
deltasone
deltoid
deltoid eminence
deltoid leaf
deltoid muscle
deltoid tuberosity
deluge
delusion
delusional disorder
delusions of grandeur
delusions of persecution
demagnetisation
demagnetization
demagog
demagogue
demagoguery
demagogy
demand
demand-pull inflation
demand deposit
demand feeding
demand for explanation
demand for identification
demand loan
demand note
demander
demantoid
demarcation
demarcation line
demarche
dematiaceae
demavend
demeanor
demeanour
demeclocycline hydrochloride
dementedness
dementia
dementia praecox
demerara
demerara rum
demerara sugar
demerit
demerol
demesne
demeter
demetrius
demetrius i
demetrius poliorcetes
demi-glaze
demiglace
demigod
demijohn
demilitarized zone
demille
demimondaine
demimonde
demineralisation
demineralization
demise
demisemiquaver
demister
demitasse
demiurge
demo
demobilisation
demobilization
democracy
democrat
democratic-republican party
democratic and popular republic of algeria
democratic front for the liberation of palestine
democratic party
democratic people's republic of korea
democratic republic of sao tome and principe
democratic republic of the congo
democratic socialist republic of sri lanka
democratisation
democratization
democritus
demodulation
demodulator
demogorgon
demographer
demographic
demographist
demography
demoiselle
demolishing
demolition
demon
demonetisation
demonetization
demoniac
demonisation
demonism
demonization
demonolatry
demonstrability
demonstration
demonstrative
demonstrative pronoun
demonstrativeness
demonstrator
demoralisation
demoralization
demosthenes
demotic
demotic script
demotion
dempsey
demulcent
demulen
demur
demureness
demurrage
demurral
demurrer
demyelination
demythologisation
demythologization
den
den haag
den mother
denali
denali fault
denali national park
denationalisation
denationalization
denaturant
denatured alcohol
denazification
dendranthema
dendranthema grandifloruom
dendraspis
dendrite
dendroaspis
dendroaspis augusticeps
dendrobium
dendrocalamus
dendrocalamus giganteus
dendrocolaptes
dendrocolaptidae
dendroctonus
dendroctonus rufipennis
dendroica
dendroica auduboni
dendroica coronata
dendroica fusca
dendroica petechia
dendroica striate
dendroica tigrina
dendrolagus
dendromecon
deneb
denebola
deng xiaoping
dengue
dengue fever
denial
denier
denigration
denim
denis diderot
denisonia
denisonia superba
denizen
denmark
denmark vesey
dennis gabor
dennstaedtia
dennstaedtia punctilobula
dennstaedtiaceae
denomination
denominationalism
denominator
denotation
denotatum
denouement
denouncement
dense-leaved elodea
dense blazing star
denseness
densification
densimeter
densitometer
densitometry
density
dent
dent corn
dental
dental amalgam
dental anatomy
dental appliance
dental assistant
dental care
dental caries
dental consonant
dental floss
dental gold
dental hygienist
dental implant
dental medicine
dental orthopaedics
dental orthopedics
dental plaque
dental plate
dental practice
dental practitioner
dental procedure
dental school
dental surgeon
dental surgery
dental technician
dentaria
dentaria bulbifera
dentaria diphylla
dentate leaf
dentate nucleus
denticle
denticulate leaf
dentifrice
dentin
dentine
dentist
dentist's drill
dentistry
dentition
denture
denturist
denudation
denunciation
denver
deodar
deodar cedar
deodorant
deodourant
deontic logic
deossification
deoxyadenosine
deoxyadenosine monophosphate
deoxycytidine
deoxycytidine monophosphate
deoxyephedrine
deoxyguanosine
deoxyguanosine monophosphate
deoxyribonucleic acid
deoxyribose
deoxythymidine
deoxythymidine monophosphate
depardieu
deparia
deparia acrostichoides
departed
departer
department
department head
department of agriculture
department of anthropology
department of biology
department of chemistry
department of commerce
department of commerce and labor
department of computer science
department of corrections
department of defense
department of defense laboratory system
department of economics
department of education
department of energy
department of energy intelligence
department of english
department of health and human services
department of health education and welfare
department of history
department of homeland security
department of housing and urban development
department of justice
department of justice canada
department of labor
department of linguistics
department of local government
department of mathematics
department of music
department of philosophy
department of physics
department of psychology
department of sociology
department of state
department of the federal government
department of the interior
department of the treasury
department of transportation
department of veterans affairs
department store
departure
departure gate
departure lounge
departure tax
departure time
dependability
dependableness
dependance
dependant
dependence
dependency
dependent
dependent clause
dependent variable
depersonalisation
depersonalisation disorder
depersonalisation neurosis
depersonalization
depersonalization disorder
depersonalization neurosis
depicted object
depicting
depiction
depigmentation
depilation
depilator
depilatory
depletion
deployment
depokene
depolarisation
depolarization
deponent
depopulation
deportation
deportee
deportment
deposer
deposit
deposit account
deposit box
depositary
deposition
depositor
depository
depository financial institution
depository library
depot
depravation
depravity
deprecation
depreciation
depreciation allowance
depreciation charge
depreciation rate
depreciator
depredation
depressant
depressed fracture
depression
depressive
depressive disorder
depressor
depressor muscle
depressor nerve
deprivation
depth
depth bomb
depth charge
depth finder
depth gage
depth gauge
depth psychology
deputation
deputy
deputy sheriff
der fuhrer
deracination
derailment
derain
derangement
derby
derby hat
deregulating
deregulation
derelict
dereliction
derision
derivation
derivational morphology
derivative
derivative instrument
derived function
deriving
derma
dermabrasion
dermacentor
dermacentor variabilis
dermaptera
dermatitis
dermatobia
dermatobia hominis
dermatoglyphic
dermatoglyphics
dermatologist
dermatology
dermatome
dermatomycosis
dermatomyositis
dermatophytosis
dermatosclerosis
dermatosis
dermestidae
dermis
dermochelyidae
dermochelys
dermochelys coriacea
dermoid cyst
dermoptera
derogation
derrick
derrida
derriere
derring-do
derringer
derris
derris elliptica
derris root
derv
dervish
des
des moines
desalination
desalinisation
desalinization
descant
descartes
descendant
descendants
descendent
descender
descending aorta
descending colon
descending node
descensus
descensus uteri
descent
description
descriptive adjective
descriptive anthropology
descriptive clause
descriptive geometry
descriptive grammar
descriptive linguistics
descriptivism
descriptor
descurainia
descurainia pinnata
desecration
desegregation
desensitisation
desensitisation procedure
desensitisation technique
desensitization
desensitization procedure
desensitization technique
desert
desert boot
desert four o'clock
desert fox
desert holly
desert iguana
desert lynx
desert mariposa tulip
desert olive
desert paintbrush
desert pea
desert plant
desert plume
desert rat
desert rheumatism
desert rose
desert sand verbena
desert selaginella
desert soil
desert sunflower
desert tortoise
desert willow
deserter
desertic soil
desertification
desertion
deserts
deservingness
deshabille
desiccant
desiccation
desideratum
desiderius erasmus
design
design criteria
designated driver
designated hitter
designation
designatum
designer
designer drug
designing
desipramine
desirability
desirableness
desire
desire to know
desk
desk clerk
desk dictionary
desk officer
desk phone
desk sergeant
deskman
desktop
desktop computer
desktop publishing
desmanthus
desmanthus ilinoensis
desmid
desmidiaceae
desmidium
desmodium
desmodium gyrans
desmodium motorium
desmodium purpureum
desmodium tortuosum
desmodontidae
desmodus
desmodus rotundus
desmograthus
desmond tutu
desolation
desorption
desoxyribonucleic acid
despair
despatch
desperado
desperate
desperate criminal
desperate measure
desperate straits
desperation
despicability
despicableness
despisal
despising
despite
despoilation
despoiler
despoilment
despoina
despoliation
despondence
despondency
despot
despotism
desquamation
dessert
dessert apple
dessert plate
dessert spoon
dessert wine
dessertspoon
dessertspoonful
dessiatine
destabilisation
destabilization
destalinisation
destalinization
destination
destiny
destitution
destroyer
destroyer escort
destroying angel
destructibility
destruction
destruction fire
destructive distillation
destructive metabolism
destructiveness
desuetude
desynchronisation
desynchronization
desynchronizing
desyrel
detached house
detached retina
detachment
detachment of the retina
detail
detail file
detailing
details
detainee
detainment
detecting
detection
detective
detective agency
detective novel
detective story
detective work
detector
detent
detente
detention
detention basin
detention camp
detention cell
detention centre
detention home
detention house
detergence
detergency
detergent
detergent builder
deterioration
determent
determinant
determinateness
determination
determinative
determiner
determining factor
determinism
determinist
deterrence
deterrent
deterrent example
detestation
dethronement
detonating device
detonating fuse
detonation
detonator
detour
detox
detoxification
detraction
detractor
detribalisation
detribalization
detriment
detrition
detritus
detroit
detroit river
detumescence
deuce
deuce-ace
deus ex machina
deuteranopia
deuterium
deuterium oxide
deuteromycetes
deuteromycota
deuteromycotina
deuteron
deuteronomy
deutsche mark
deutschland
deutschmark
deutzia
devaluation
devanagari
devanagari script
devastation
developer
developing
developing country
development
developmental age
developmental anatomy
developmental learning
developmental psychology
developmentally challenged
deverbal noun
devi
deviance
deviant
deviate
deviated nasal septum
deviated septum
deviation
deviationism
deviationist
device
device characteristic
device driver
devices
devil
devil's advocate
devil's apples
devil's cigar
devil's claw
devil's darning needle
devil's fig
devil's flax
devil's food
devil's food cake
devil's milk
devil's tongue
devil's turnip
devil's urn
devil's walking stick
devil's weed
devil-worship
devil dog
devil grass
devil lily
devil nettle
devil ray
devil tree
devil worshiper
deviled egg
devilfish
devilment
devilry
deviltry
devilwood
deviousness
devisal
devise
devisee
deviser
devising
devisor
devitalisation
devitalization
devoir
devolution
devolvement
devon
devonian
devonian period
devonshire
devonshire cream
devotedness
devotee
devotion
devotional
devourer
devoutness
devries
dew
dew point
dew worm
dewar
dewar flask
dewberry
dewberry bush
dewdrop
dewey
dewey decimal classification
dewey decimal system
dewitt clinton
dewlap
dexamethasone
dexamethasone intensol
dexedrine
dexone
dexterity
dextrality
dextrin
dextroamphetamine sulphate
dextrocardia
dextroglucose
dextrorotation
dextrose
diane de poitiers
diazoxide
dichloride
dichloroethyl sulfide
diego rodriguez de silva y velazquez
digitalis glycoside
digitigrade
diode
dioxide
direct tide
disaccharide
disquietude
dissimilitude
ditch spade
divide
dockside
dolophine hydrochloride
domingo de guzman
downgrade
downside
doxepin hydrochloride
dress code
duc de richelieu
duc de sully
duchesse de valentinois
dude
eamon de valera
east side
eastertide
eau de cologne
eau de cologne mint
eau de javelle
eau de toilette
eau de vie
ebbtide
ecclesiastical mode
edmond de goncourt
edmond louis antoine huot de goncourt
edmund ironside
electrode
emeside
encainide
enchanter's nightshade
enfilade
episode
epistle of jude
error correction code
escalade
escalope de veau orloff
escapade
esplanade
esprit de corps
esprit de l'escalier
ethanamide
ethanoyl chloride
ethical code
ethosuximide
ethyl chloride
ethylene tetrachloride
etude
eventide
exactitude
exode
explication de texte
eyeshade
facade
fade
fair trade
fan blade
felo-de-se
fer-de-lance
ferdinand de lesseps
ferdinand de saussure
ferric oxide
ferricyanide
ferrocyanide
feticide
fibrinopeptide
field guide
fifth crusade
filet de boeuf en croute
filicide
fille de chambre
finitude
fire brigade
fire code
fireside
first crusade
firth of clyde
flecainide
fleur-de-lis
fleur-de-lys
flip side
flood tide
fluoride
fluoroboride
fluoxetine hydrocholoride
flurazepam hydrochloride
formaldehyde
fort george g. meade
fort george gordon meade
fort meade
fortitude
fourth crusade
francisco de goya
francisco fernandez de cordova
francisco jimenez de cisneros
francisco jose de goya
francisco jose de goya y lucientes
francois de la rochefoucauld
francoise-athenais de rochechouart
fratricide
free trade
freedom from involuntary servitude
fuerzas armadas revolucionarios de colombia
fungicide
furfuraldehyde
furosemide
fusillade
ganymede
garden centipede
garden spade
gasconade
general agreement on tariffs and trade
general charles de gaulle
general de gaulle
genetic code
genocide
geode
george charles hevesy de hevesy
george gordon meade
georges de la tour
georges gilles de la tourette
germicide
gide
gilles de la tourette
gilles de la tourette syndrome
giorgio de chirico
giovanni jacopo casanova de seingalt
gironde
glade
glide
glipizide
glissade
glucoside
glutethimide
glyburide
glyceraldehyde
glyceric aldehyde
glyceride
glycoside
golden horde
golfo de campeche
golfo de mexico
gourde
grade
gratitude
great divide
greek mode
gregorian mode
grenade
guide
guillaume de grimoard
guy de maupassant
habitude
hair slide
halide
hand grenade
harlequinade
health code
heaviside
hebetude
hemipode
henri clemens van de velde
henri rene albert guy de maupassant
henri van de velde
herbicide
heroica puebla de zaragoza
hide
high tide
highway code
hillside
hit parade
homicide
honey guide
honore de balzac
horatian ode
horde
hornblende
horse latitude
horse trade
horsehide
house centipede
hugo de vries
huig de groot
hunting guide
hydathode
hydrated aluminium oxide
hydrated aluminum oxide
hydrated oxide
hydride
hydrochloride
hydrochlorothiazide
hydroflumethiazide
hydrogen azide
hydrogen bromide
hydrogen chloride
hydrogen cyanide
hydrogen fluoride
hydrogen iodide
hydrogen peroxide
hydrogen sulfide
hydromorphone hydrochloride
hydroxide
hydroxyzine hydrochloride
ile-de-france
imide
impramine hydrochloride
inaptitude
incertitude
indapamide
ineptitude
inexactitude
infanticide
infinitude
ingratitude
inherent aptitude
inquietude
insecticide
inside
interlude
international morse code
internode
iodide
ipratropium bromide
iproclozide
iron carbide
iron disulfide
iron perchloride
ironside
isolde
isosorbide
jade
james edward meade
jean-louis lebris de kerouac
jean baptiste de lamarck
jean baptiste donatien de vimeur
jean de la fontaine
jekyll and hyde
jerez de la frontera
jimenez de cisneros
joie de vivre
josiah spode
joyride
juan carlos victor maria de borbon y borbon
juan ponce de leon
jude
jules alfred huot de goncourt
jules de goncourt
justinian code
ketamine hydrochloride
knife blade
labetalol hydrochloride
lakeside
lammastide
lamp shade
lampshade
landside
landslide
langside
lantern slide
lanthanide
larvacide
larvicide
lassitude
latitude
leaf blade
leaf node
lede
lee de forest
lee side
lee tide
leeward side
leeward tide
leflunomide
legal code
lemonade
lententide
leporide
lesser twayblade
lettre de cachet
lieutenant junior grade
light-emitting diode
limeade
line of latitude
line of longitude
lipide
lode
long-handled spade
longitude
lope de vega
lope felix de vega carpio
louis antoine de bougainville
louis charles alfred de musset
louis victor de broglie
low tide
luis de gongora y argote
lunar latitude
lymph node
lysergic acid diethylamide
machine code
madame de maintenon
madame de stael
magnesium hydroxide
magnesium nitride
magnesium oxide
magnitude
major depressive episode
major mode
mal de la rosa
mal de mer
mande
manganese tetroxide
manuel de falla
marchand de vin
marinade
mariticide
marmalade
marquis de condorcet
marquis de lafayette
marquis de laplace
marquis de sade
marquise de maintenon
marquise de montespan
marquise de pompadour
masquerade
matricide
maurice de vlaminck
maxmilien de bethune
maxmillien marie isidore de robespierre
maxzide
meade
meclizine hydrochloride
medieval mode
mefloquine hydrochloride
megapode
mental attitude
meperidine hydrochloride
mercuric chloride
mercurous chloride
mercury chloride
methadone hydrochloride
methamphetamine hydrochloride
methyl bromide
methylene chloride
methylthionine chloride
michael ellis de bakey
michaelmastide
michel de notredame
microcode
microscope slide
microzide
miguel de cervantes
miguel de cervantes saavedra
military blockade
millepede
millipede
minor mode
mode
monosaccharide
monoxide
morse code
mother lode
motorcade
mountain pride
mountainside
mousseline de sole
mucopolysaccharide
mudslide
multitude
musical mode
naval blockade
neap tide
nearside
negritude
nematode
nesselrode
nevado de colima
nicolas de malebranche
nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
nightshade
nitric oxide
nitride
nitrogen dioxide
nitrogen oxide
nitrogen trichloride
nitrous oxide
node
nom de guerre
nom de plume
noontide
nord-pas-de-calais
north side
nucleoside
nucleotide
nude
nurse's aide
nursing aide
oaxaca de juarez
obidoxime chloride
object code
ode
oeil de boeuf
offside
oligosaccharide
oliver heaviside
operation code
orange marmalade
orangeade
order code
order of magnitude
oreide
organic light-emitting diode
oroide
oscar fingal o'flahertie wills wilde
oscar wilde
outside
override
oxide
oxytetracycline hydrochloride
ozonide
palisade
palo verde
paloverde
parade
paraldehyde
parallel of latitude
parricide
pas de calais
pas de deux
pas de quatre
pas de trois
pasquinade
pate de foie gras
patricide
paygrade
pays de la loire
pediculicide
pedro calderon de la barca
penal code
penny arcade
pentode
pentoxide
peptide
perchloride
peroxide
peroxide blonde
pesticide
phencyclidine hydrochloride
phensuximide
phenylacetamide
philibert de l'orme
photocathode
phthalic anhydride
phylloclade
phyllode
physician-assisted suicide
pico de orizaba
piece de resistance
pierre de fermat
pierre de terrail
pierre simon de laplace
pierre teilhard de chardin
pimozide
pindaric ode
pious platitude
piperocaine hydrochloride
pistillode
pitchblende
plantigrade
platinum blonde
platitude
playground slide
plenitude
plentitude
poisonous nightshade
poivrade
political correctitude
polyamide
polymeric amide
polypeptide
polysaccharide
polyvinyl-formaldehyde
polyvinyl chloride
pomade
pomme de prairie
ponce de leon
ponte 25 de abril
postal code
postcode
postlude
potassium bromide
potassium chloride
potassium cyanide
potassium ferrocyanide
potassium hydroxide
potassium iodide
prelude
pride
prix de rome
procaine hydrochloride
promenade
promptitude
propanamide
propionaldehyde
propoxyphene hydrochloride
proprionamide
prude
puebla de zaragoza
pulchritude
purple nightshade
quaalude
quietude
quinacrine hydrochloride
rag trade
rawhide
razorblade
ready-made
rectitude
red tide
regicide
remicade
rene antoine ferchault de reaumur
renegade
republic of cape verde
restraint of trade
rhodomontade
richard coeur de lion
ride
rifle grenade
ringside
rio de janeiro
rio de la plata
rio grande
riptide
rising tide
riverside
roadside
robe-de-chambre
robert de niro
robert jemison van de graaff
robert van de graaff
rockslide
rodomontade
roger de mortimer
roland de lassus
rollerblade
rotor blade
roulade
rudder blade
sa node
saccade
saccharide
sade
saint bede
saint bride
saint jude
salade
samoyede
samuel de champlain
sanctitude
sanitary code
santa maria de belem
santiago de chile
santiago de cuba
santiago de los caballeros
sao joao de meriti
sapphic ode
savinien cyrano de bergerac
scabicide
schadenfreude
scrutin de liste
scrutin de liste system
seaside
second crusade
secret code
seigneur de bayard
self-pride
semiconductor diode
sennenhunde
serenade
servitude
seventh crusade
sexcapade
shade
shipside
shoulder blade
shrovetide
sick parade
side
sieur de lasalle
silicide
silicon carbide
silicon dioxide
silicon oxide
silver-leaved nightshade
silver bromide
silver chloride
silver iodide
silverleaf nightshade
silverside
similitude
simon de montfort
simone de beauvoir
sinoatrial node
sixth crusade
skagens odde
slack tide
slag code
slave trade
slide
smoke grenade
sodium chloride
sodium cyanide
sodium fluoride
sodium hydride
sodium hydroxide
sodium iodide
solicitude
solitude
source code
south side
spade
spermatocide
spermicide
spode
springtide
st. bede
st. bride
st. jude
stampede
stannic chloride
stannic sulfide
stannous fluoride
stinking nightshade
stock-in-trade
stockade
stride
succade
suede
suicide
sulfacetamide
sulfanilamide
sulfide
sulfonamide
sulfur dioxide
sulfur hexafluoride
sulfur oxide
sulphide
sulphur dioxide
sulphur hexafluoride
sulphur oxide
sunshade
superoxide
swede
switchblade
tailor-made
tamponade
tapenade
tardigrade
teilhard de chardin
telluride
tetrachloride
tetrahalide
tetrasaccharide
tetrode
tetroxide
thalidomide
the venerable bede
thiazide
third crusade
thomas de quincey
tide
tilde
tirade
tirso de molina
titanic oxide
titanium dioxide
titanium oxide
toadshade
tocainide
tolazamide
tolbutamide
tomas de torquemada
top side
topside
tour de force
tour de france
tour guide
trade
transactinide
trazodone hydrochloride
trematode
trenching spade
trespass de bonis asportatis
tribade
trichloride
trichlormethiazide
triglyceride
triode
trioxide
triphosphopyridine nucleotide
triplet code
trisaccharide
trou-de-loup
tuatha de
tuatha de danann
turpitude
twayblade
twelfthtide
tyrannicide
u. s. code
ultrasuede
underside
undertide
united states code
universal product code
upgrade
upper side
upside
uxoricide
valet de chambre
van de graaff
van de graaff generator
van de velde
vanadium pentoxide
vasco nunez de balboa
velocipede
veratrum viride
verisimilitude
vermicide
vicissitude
vicomte de chateaubriand
vicomte ferdinand marie de lesseps
victoria de durango
vinyl cyanide
virginia wade
viricide
virucide
vittorio de sica
volcan de colima
wade
walter de la mare
walter john de la mare
war bride
waterside
wave guide
waveguide
wayside
weather side
west side
whitsuntide
wilde
wilhelm apollinaris de kostrowitzki
willem de kooning
willem de sitter
window shade
windward side
wiper blade
woody nightshade
yaounde
youth crusade
yuletide
zinc blende
zinc cadmium sulfide
zinc oxide
zinc sulfide
zinc sulphide
zip code
zirconium dioxide
zirconium oxide